Fonttale
by specialminds
Summary: Fonttale is an AU where skeletons have powers based on their font. Papyrus, a Horror Font, is a sadistic killer who's main goal is to protect his one HP brother Sans. During the day he's the town idiot, but at night he's an infamous murderer. When Sans finds out their relationship is tested and he learns more than he wanted to about Papyrus, the Underground, and himself.
1. Chapter 1

**Fonttale**

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

 **Unseen and Unheard**

* * *

 _If you make yourself a problem, someone will eventually solve you._

Papyrus repeated the phrase in his head over and over again, until the words became nonsense and the nonsense became a blur that overwhelmed any and all of his other thoughts.

Gripping the arm rest of the couch until his arm shook, he glared at the television screen; struggling to keep his breathing at a slow and steady pace and his rage under control.

Mettaton was at it again. He had a habit of taking short random intermissions between his singing and dancing to remind everyone of how great he was. A habit Papyrus was having more and more trouble tolerating as the years went by.

As Mettaton crowed and pranced around the stage like a peacock, the crowd went wild. Hands, claws, tentacles, and wings flew up into the air as the crowd roared with applause; the cheering rising to an almost deafening crescendo almost blocking out Mettaton's voice.

Almost.

Mettaton always seemed to find a way to be louder than everyone else. No matter how loud the applause, his voice was never drowned out; much to Papyrus's disappointment. After all, the most important and best part of the show was not the dancing or singing, but the self-loving speeches made between them. At least that's what everyone else thought...everyone but Papyrus.

Papyrus knew the truth. He knew exactly what Mettaton was. A pathetic and narcissistic waste of metal, magic, and life. If there was ever a time when Mettaton once cared about the music or joy of others, that time had long since passed. Now he was nothing but an attention whore to the fullest degree with no love for anyone but himself. Strutting and flirting on the stage like a common stripper, scooping up praise like it were gold.

 **"Disgusting,"** muttered Papyrus, shaking his head. **"Absolutely revolting."**

Sighing, the young skeleton switched off the television and sat in silence for a moment in the dark.

The rage was gone, replaced with a cold despair he knew all too well, that settled in his ribcage and refused to leave.

He hated nights like this. When all was quiet and there was absolutely nothing he had to do.

The house was already clean, and his side of the fridge was already packed with inedible spaghetti to the point where storing more was impossible. The trash receptacle was already taken out and his room was spotless as always.

 **"I suppose I'll go see Flowey then,"** said Papyrus to no one.

He glanced upstairs towards San's room before heading out the door into the night air.

His brother had long since gone to his room to sleep.

 _Sleep well Brother..._

The snow crunched under Papyrus's boots as he headed toward the mysterious door that opened for no one but him...and humans apparently.

Papyrus grinned as he remembered the human with the glasses and notebook he had met while going to meet with Flowey. It was still difficult for Papyrus to tell which humans were male and female, but he assumed that one was female due to the dress it wore and the braids it had tied with ribbons.

In monster culture, frills and ribbons were girlish things worn by small children; and striped shirts were the customary garb for the males. It was a necessary dress code for monsters due to their variety. By the time the children turned into adults, everyone knew their name and gender by heart. One pro of being a species that lived for hundreds of years he supposed.

When the human girl saw him, she had been frightened. They were all frightened, and had every right to be. He was a Horror Font after all. As a mouse is instinctually frightened of a cat, a human is frightened by a Horror.

He was impressed that she had managed to avoid dusting any Monsters. Most of the Humans he came across gathered as much EXP as possible in order to survive, but not this girl. He could tell just by looking at her that she was a kind soul, probably bullied though.

Papyrus was lucky to be the Lying Font. Had he been any other, the girl might have screamed Snowdin awake, but as it was, a single sentence was enough to silence her and stop her in her tracks.

 **"You are not afraid of me."**

Immediately all fear left her eyes. Instantly believing him, she smiled, curtsied, and introduced herself.

Papyrus couldn't remember her name.

He _did_ remember everything else though. How she held her notebook to her chest like the school girl she was, how her eyes twinkled with hope and happiness as he used his font to lie to her, comfort her.

 **"I will not hurt you."**

Both of his eye sockets glowed orange as a pumpkin whenever he used his font. It was a terrifying sight when paired with his permanent smile...as long as you weren't under his spell of course. As long as they weren't a fellow skeleton, a fellow Font, they were susceptible.

* * *

 _"Those who hear Papyrus's lies are doomed to believe in him, and those who believe in him are bound to be betrayed."_

* * *

 **"What's your name, Stranger?"** asked the girl smiling brightly.

 **"My name is Papyrus; it's a pleasure to meet you,"** said Papyrus kissing her hand like the gentleman he tried constantly to be.

He was a killer, true, but he didn't have to be an asshole.

Not to people who didn't deserve it anyway.

Taking back her hand the girl giggled. **"Well aren't you friendly?"**

 **"I try to be. It's admittedly difficult when you're surrounded by such violent creatures."**

 **"Tell me about it, I think every creature I've come across save for one has tried to kill me!"**

 **"Despicable; picking on such a poor sweet child!"**

 **"Yeah, I get bullied a lot at school too. People just don't seem to like me..."**

 **"What a shame, you seem so kind...and polite! Do all Human girls curtsy like you?"** Papyrus smiled at her, happy to have finally come across a polite and kind Human for once. He wasn't even used to seeing such politeness in the Underground from Monsters! He wasn't an old man, but he had thought people of his and the next generation had forgotten what respect was. When WAS the last time he saw a young lady curtsy? Had he ever?

She shook her head. **"Nope, I think I'm the only one who curtsies anymore, or at least I'm the only one in class. Maybe that's why they make fun of me..."**

 **"Nonsense! That's hardly a reason!"** said Papyrus crossing his arms and scowling.

 _Unbelievable._

 _Making fun of someone for being respectful and polite?_

 _Do they make fun of someone's skin color too?_

 _So stupid..._

 **"I'm glad you're nice at least,"** said the young girl sighing.

 **"Yes, but you know you really shouldn't talk to strangers Human."**

The girl laughed. **"A stranger's just a friend you haven't met!"** she said waving him off.

Papyrus stared at her for a minute. **"That's...an interesting philosophy..."**

The young girl laughed once more.

He remembered her telling him of the surface, of her friends of whom she got separated from while collecting plant data for a school project. He remembered her showing him her notes and telling him about an "evil" flower who tried to kill her.

He remembered telling her to turn around for a moment.

He remembered bludgeoning her over the head with a bone he had conjured, he remembered her falling dead at his feet and her blood painting the snow, he remembered collecting her soul for the king, and carrying her body to the dump.

But he didn't remember feeling bad.

 _That girl was asking for it._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two:**

 **A Horror-ible Friendship**

* * *

 **"Knock knock,"** Papyrus beat upon the door with a gloved fist. A simple password, complete with two knocks. Flowey came up with it, though Papyrus thought it was stupid.

 _This is literally the first thing everyone does when they see a door._

 **"Who's there?"** asked a tiny voice in a sing-song manner.

 **"Open the damn door,"** ordered Papyrus.

 **"You're in a mood tonight."**

 **"No, I'm not."**

Slowly the door slid down into the ground, as the sound of stone grinding against stone echoed through the cave.

Papyrus crossed his arms impatiently.

This always took forever.

Finally, the door completely slid into the ground, and a little golden flower greeted him with a smile.

 **"Howdy Trashbag!"** smiled Flowey with a wiggling dance.

 **"Good evening Weed,"** Papyrus smiled and bowed politely, his mood already improving. Flowey's silly smile had that effect on him. The urge to kill Mettaton was completely gone at this point.

 **"Hmph! Wasn't such a gentleman a few seconds ago."** scoffed Flowey playfully.

 **"The Great Papyrus is ALWAYS a gentleman,"** replied the skeleton with a smile, **"obnoxious plants are an exception though."**

The tiny flower frowned in annoyance.

 **"If I'm an exception, why did you bow at all?"** Flowey hated it when Papyrus didn't make sense.

 **"I wasn't bowing, I was merely checking to see if it was really you. Hard to tell from all the way up here, ya' know?"**

Flowey crossed his leaves as if they were arms in mock anger and turned away.

 **"That's no way to treat your best friend!"**

 **"I'll keep that in mind when I make one,"** Papyrus replied with a smirk.

 _Sans is my best friend._

 **"PHBBTH!"**

Flowey blew a raspberry in Papyrus's direction and popped back into the ground.

Holding his arms and still smiling, the skeleton made his way into the Ruins.

He knew where Flowey would be.

He would be in their Special Place. The only place he knew of in the Underground that was touched by real sunlight; pure and bright like a spotlight and unbridled by stained glass windows like in the Judgment Hall. Papyrus loved that place, and wondered how close dawn was. He and Flowey used the light as a timer in order to avoid Her Highness.

It was always a risk visiting Flowey. The Froggits were a chatty monster, and more than once Papyrus had to silence them permanently and quietly. It was best to avoid them all together, but with little to hide behind, it was mostly a matter of luck. He could use his font and change his form, (after all pretending to be someone else _was_ a form of deceit) but the only monsters in the Ruins were either slow, equipped with short stubby legs, or had no legs at all. More than once he thought about changing into Sans and teleporting, but it was dangerous to use a power he didn't understand.

Papyrus was not the fool everyone thought he was.

As usual, it was quiet in the Ruins aside from the croaking of the Froggits as they slumbered. Everyone in the Underground was most likely asleep by now he imagined.

Undyne may have been in charge during the day, but when night fell, Papyrus ruled the Underground.

He was the reason monsters locked their doors at night, but he was also the reason crime was almost non-existent.

Papyrus admired the king, but admittedly, His Highness was more than a bit stupid when it came to safety. Not only did he hire monsters that had no business being in the Royal Guard, but he allowed them all to go home after dusk.

No one was watching for humans at night except for Papyrus, and it was always at night when they appeared. Papyrus took care of them like he took care of any other scum in the Underground that he happened upon who thought they could break into houses in his presence or mug him.

 _Wicked creatures, nasty little things._

The humans always came from the Ruins; and they were always children, vile, violent, deceitful little rats with no respect for anyone or anything. Usually covered in dust and carrying a weapon. They weren't like the girl in ribbons, she had been an exception.

 _They won't harm my brother..._

 _I'll fight till my last breath if I have to._

Once, a human had had the nerve to attempt to strike down sleeping monsters in order to gain easy EXP. The skeleton smiled at the memory. Papyrus had put a stop to that _real_ quick.

* * *

The little urchin was wearing a tough-looking glove obviously used for fighting, and one of the most hideous bandanas he had ever seen.

 _Who wears abs on their head?_

 **"Goodness, aren't we brave? Attacking someone in their sleep..."**

The human didn't respond. They rushed him like a dog, and Papyrus put them down like one.

 **"UHG!"**

A swift kick to the stomach put the human on the ground faster than they could think. They lay in the snow curled up in a fetal position, trying to regain the breath that had been knocked out of them.

 **"I'm sensing some hostility between us,"** said Papyrus, hands behind his back. He rocked back and forth on his heels, waiting for the human to rise.

He was glad he had caught the human, but he wished he had done so before they reached Snowdin. It was only now that he remembered the store owner sold the ugly bandana and glove at her store.

 _She had quite a large family if I recall..._

 _CRACK!_

The human had gotten to their feet and thrown a punch at Papyrus. Luckily, the skeleton's reflexes were a lot faster than their swings, and they wound up hitting a tree instead.

 **"Oh dear, are you alright?"**

 **"Leave me alone!"** cried the human, clutching their hand in pain.

 **"I was speaking to the tree, you mouthy little cretin."**

 _CRACK!_

Another swing and another tree.

 **"You're liable to break your hand that way, human."**

 **"Shut up!"**

 **"No, really. You may not believe me, but I know a lot about bones."**

 _ **"SHUT UP!"**_

The human lunged at Papyrus, earning themselves another swift kick; this time to the head. They fell on their back with a loud thump, the snow doing nothing to soften the fall.

Papyrus grinned widely, clearing enjoying himself. Fighting had always been fun for him. He liked the rush he felt whenever he dodged a close attack, and the conversations during battle were a treat.

 **"Do you require some assistance?"** Papyrus asked, leaning over and looking down at the child.

They were silent; a glare was his only response.

Papyrus picked the child up from under their arms and stood them on their feet. They wobbled uncertainly, putting a hand to their head in an attempt to rid themselves of the pain.

 **"All better?"**

The young child took some candy out of their pocket and ate it, filling their HP; though not by much.

 **"Could I have some of that?"** teased Papyrus, smiling brightly.

They shook their head.

 **"Why not? We're friends now, yes? Friends share."**

 **"I'm not your friend, Font,"** said the human angrily.

 _He knows about Fonts, well, it seems I was wrong about this human. They're quite brave, trying to fight me all on their own. Most humans run away, but not this one..._

 **"You don't wanna be my friend? Why not?"** asked Papyrus putting on a hurt expression, **"Ahhh, it's because I kicked your ass isn't it? That's why you're upset."**

The human swung their fist at him again, and again they missed. They had no chance against someone who'd spent their entire lives training, and even if they did, Papyrus was built to take humans down; all Fonts were.

 _This human may be fearless, but they're unskilled. Bravery doesn't win battles alone and it won't win them this one._

 **"If I apologize, can we be friends?"**

He was being a bully at this point, but he figured the child deserved it. He was brave enough to fight, but he was lazy to the point where they preferred targeting people who were asleep.

 **"I don't want to be your friend; you're stupid!"** said the child curtly.

Typical child response.

 **"If you be my friend I'll tell you a secret!"** said Papyrus giggling behind his gloves. He swayed side to side, his eyes glowing brightly. If they were going to act like a child, so was he.

The human backed up, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

 **"Oh such secrets I will tell! They'll fill your head with wonder!"** exclaimed Papyrus, spreading his arms wide to the sky.

 **"Go away!"**

The child backed away from the mad skeleton, tripping over a rock in the process and falling to the snow once more.

 **"Where are you off to, little human? Don't leave me alone all by myself!"**

They wanted to go back to the Ruins. They wanted to go back and forget tonight ever happened, but they found they couldn't go back. The door to the Ruins could not be opened from their side.

 **"Nyeh heh heh heh heh!"**

 _I want to go back to Goat-Mom..._

Papyrus summoned a bone with a pointed end, and walked toward them briskly. He grinned wildly at the human child, his eyes glowing in the dark.

 _I want to see my real mom..._

 **"NYEH HEH HA HA HA HA HA!"**

Papyrus lunged towards the child.

 _I WANT TO GO HOME!_

* * *

Papyrus had put the glove and bandanna in a nearby box to sell later.

It was annoying to never know when the humans were going to show up. He patrolled the town every night, but the gloved human had managed to not only evade his attention for a time, but also steal from the shop keep.

The problem was there were two doors that led into the Ruins, and which door a human would come out of was left up to chance.

Until he met Flowey one night.

Now they both worked together scouring the Ruins to gather souls, each for their own reasons.

Every once in awhile they would gather at the Special Place to simply take a break from patrol.

Tonight was Break Night.

He eventually reached the area where everything started to go purple, and shuddering happily, quickened his pace. Whoever decided to paint these dark ruins purple was a bloody imbecile, but it looked super cool. The torches flickered and cast shadows onto the purple walls that made the place feel and look like an evil lair of a demon or creature too frightening to imagine. Flowey once laughed at him for saying so out loud and Papyrus had to shush him.

* * *

 **"Aren't you supposed to** _ **like**_ **creepy stuff?"** asked Flowey a bit more softly.

 **"Who said I was afraid? Maybe I wanted to scare you..."** replied Papyrus in his most disturbed voice. He loved scaring people and making them feel uneasy. He wasn't sure if it was because he was a Horror Font or what, but he loved jumping out at people with a big smile on his face. He usually got away with it too, seeing as he was the Great Papyrus and all. He liked it when people called him creepy, or disturbing. It made sneaking up on them all the more fun.

 **"Picking on a cute innocent little flower...** **what would your dad say if you hadn't** **murdered him?"** asked Flowey with a twisted smile.

 **"Watch your mouth, Weed..."** Papyrus's eyes started to glow. It was a warning that told Flowey to back off; however he seemed to have missed it.

 **"Do you think he'd be disappointed in you?"** He asked, still grinning horribly.

 **"Wowie Flowey, it's like you WANT me to tear the petals off your empty little head,"** said Papyrus feigning amazement.

Flowey giggled and continued their patrol in silence. Papyrus was the only person capable of destroying him for good, but he was also the only person who was willing to put up with his shit. Flowey had to act nice with all the other monsters, but he could relax around Papyrus. He could be his sarcastic, hateful little self without fear of judgment. They had the same sense of humor and they both hated most of the Underground. Not because they enjoyed acting like cliché super villains, but because they could see through everyone's self-righteous bullshit. Even with the constant resets he had to do whenever he started to wilt and die, Papyrus was hard to tire of.

Rounding a corner, the pair suddenly heard footsteps echoing loudly through the corridor. Fast footsteps.

They both knew what that meant.

A human.

A soul.

Showtime.

 **"Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the-OH MY GOD!"**

The human child swung down at Flowey on sight; however their knife, instead of carving through his frail body, ended up bouncing off a bone.

Papyrus had blocked their attack.

 **"STAY YOUR HAND HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM HERE TO ASSIST YOU!"** called Papyrus striking a heroic pose.

 **"You just shushed ME for yelling; why are you doing it?"**

The human swung again, this time at Papyrus. They clearly weren't interested in chatting.

 **"CALM YOURSELF HUMAN!"**

 **"KNOCK IT OFF BRAT!"**

Papyrus dodged each swing of the blade with ease, and continued to try and calm the child whilst Flowey began pulling his vines up from the ground.

 **"WE MEAN YOU NO HARM!"** cried Papyrus as the knife came down.

Slash...

Miss...

Slash...

Miss...

Slash...

...

Nothing.

The child's knife dropped from their hand to the ground as Flowey's vines tightened around them.

 **"What's wrong buddy? Having trouble brrrreeeathing? HAHAHAHAHA!"** The vines tightened around the child as the deranged plant laughed manically.

 _CHOMP!_

 _ **"AH!"**_

With the last of their strength, the human child had bit into one of the vines holding him in a desperate attempt to get free, earning himself a free trip down, down, down, into the Old City.

Whoops.

 **"Well that one's dead,"** said Flowey nonchalantly as he peered over the edge and into the dark abyss below.

 **"Way to go,"** replied Papyrus sarcastically.

 **"We needed their soul anyway,"** said Flowey, as he rubbed the spot where the child had bit him with a leaf.

 **"I'm not fetching it for you."**

Flowey shrugged. **"I'm sure there's some monsters living there that'll find it and take it to the old fool. Sucks for me though. Reeeally could've used that soul."**

 **"You could use some self control too,"** Papyrus teased.

 **"It** _ **bit**_ **me!"** exclaimed Flowey loudly. He glared at Papyrus as if he were the most insensitive prick in the world.

 **"Three souls down, five to go."**

* * *

That was then but this was now.

Now they only needed TWO souls.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

 **What the Future Holds**

* * *

Papyrus quickly and silently made his way through the ruins, careful not to step on any strange vegetable monsters. He made it past Her Highnesses house, and leaped easily over the puzzles. He didn't want anything to tip off Her Highness that there was someone other than the usual monsters in the Ruins.

Papyrus didn't want to meet her period.

He admittedly didn't know her, but what he heard from Flowey worried him.

She apparently had a habit of taking human children that fell from above into her home, pretending to be their mother, and refusing to let them leave.

 _Would she attack anyone she didn't know in the Ruins in an attempt to protect her "babies"?_

It wouldn't have disturbed Papyrus quite as much if he hadn't known the story about the Fallen Human.

Everyone knew THAT story.

How a human fell into the Underground and was taken in by the Royal Family, how the human died of a mysterious illness, how the Royal Family's last child took their soul and then their corpse to a human village to see flowers, how the humans attacked the Prince, how the Prince just stood there while he was beaten...

 **"Ghoulish..."** whispered Papyrus.

 **"Somethin' wrong bonehead?"** Flowey popped out of the ground, startling Papyrus out of his day dream.

 **"AH! Nyeh heh heh! Hello Flowey. Apologies, I didn't realize I had made it."**

 **"You're a disgrace to Horror Fonts everywhere, and your family,"** Flowey teased.

 **"I like being scared,"** said Papyrus mischievously.

 **"So?"** Although the torches in the ruins offered them barely any light, he could see Flowey was confused.

 **"So thank you,"** replied Papyrus with an unsettling grin.

 **"...freak."**

Flowey turned from Papyrus and began drawing in the dirt.

 **"I was just thinking about the Royal Family to be honest. How dark the story was,"** said Papyrus fiddling with his gloves.

 **"It's a dark world,"** replied Flowey with a sad smile, his head filled with images of a certain loved one's demise.

 **"This one is creepy though due to the aftermath of the tragedy,"** Papyrus explained.

 **"Ah, you're talking about Her."** Flowey's face morphed to form a twisted grin. Mood swings were common and expected with Flowey. What was once sadness turned into sadistic glee almost instantaneously.

 **"I hear human children go into her basement and NEVER return,"** he said, mischief flashing in his eyes.

Papyrus chuckled at Flowey's poor attempt to scare him. **"Cute."**

His tiny friend may have been telling the truth, but Papyrus knew there were two doors leading into the Ruins. Although the Mysterious Door DID make him feel uncomfortable...sometimes it turned into the Annoying Dog's room, and there was no way into the Ruins at all. He feared one day he'd get stuck inside the Ruins or worse, what if the room changed while he was _inside_ of it?

 **"I hear she keeps a collection of all the fallen children's shoes,"** said Flowey ominously.

 **"Nyeh?"**

This actually manage to interest him. His font made it impossible for anyone to lie without him knowing.

 _Why does she keep a collection of their shoes?_

 **"I hear she makes them eat snails,"** continued Flowey, his grin getting wider as he noticed Papyrus's change in expression.

 **"Ugh! Stop that at once!"** ordered Papyrus, with a disgusted look. That wasn't scary, that was just gross.

Giggling, Flowey playfully rose up and coiled himself around Papyrus like a snake.

 **"I hear she bakes the children into a pie when they refuse to eat."** The small flower giggled once more clearly enjoying himself.

 **"Okay, I know that one's a lie,"** said Papyrus, thankful that his friend had only one disgusting fact to throw at him.

 **"No, it's true! She takes them down to the basement and cooks them!"** shouted Flowey in mock horror.

 **"A kitchen installed in her basement? Wowie, I bet someone got fired for that."** Papyrus struggled to keep his laughter under control so as to not wake anyone in the Ruins, but his little friend was making it hard.

 **"You don't believe me,"** pouted Flowey.

 **"No, I don't,"** stated Papyrus with a sideways glance.

 **"You don't believe in your old pal Flowey..."** The tiny plant covered his eyes with his leaves and pretended to cry.

He was pretty cute when he wanted to be.

 **"Flowey's a liar,"** said Papyrus, completely unaffected.

 **"I am not! I've been here for a lot longer than** _ **you**_ **have and I've** _ **seen**_ **things."** The flower made his eyes grow wide, and he moved his leaves frantically up and down, as if in a panic.

 **"Flowey, I can tell when you're lying, why do you persist?"** asked Papyrus with a sigh.

 **"Because it's fun,"** Flowey replied cheerfully.

 **"It's annoying."**

 **"But it's useful in SOME situations...like when we fought that one human with a knife,"** stated Flowey, remembering the battle...and the bite he received from the wretched little bastard he sent flying.

 **"Ahhh, you remember that too. What are the chances we'd both recall your failure on the same day? Great minds, yes?"** Papyrus placed his hands on his hips, smiling proudly.

 _Idiot skeleton thinks he's funny._

Flowey tapped the place where his chin would be thoughtfully. **"Interesting choice of words there Pappy. Preeetty sure the whole situation could of been avoided if you had just used your font."**

 **"Just because you have a lot of power, doesn't mean you should use it obnoxiously,"** said Papyrus firmly. He didn't like using his font for everything, it was lazy.

 **"Why not? Do you realize how easy life would be for you if you'd just use your font? You'd never have to pay for ANYTHING! You'd be able to get away with EVERYTHING,"** shouted Flowey, no longer caring who heard him.

This was stupid.

Papyrus was stupid.

Sooo many things could be accomplished if he would _just_ use his font.

 _What the hell is his problem?!_

Papyrus sighed and pressed his gloved fingers to his eyes in irritation.

He hated this conversation.

His font was one of the few things he and Flowey ever argued about. No matter how many times Papyrus tried to explain, Flowey never seemed to get it.

Well, once more couldn't hurt.

 **"If I depend too much on my font, it will make me stupid,"** explained Papyrus as calmly as he could.

 **"You're already stupid,"** saidFlowey, crossing his leaves and frowning at him.

It was like talking to a child.

 **"You NEED to enhance your problem-solving skills or you'll end up needing your power like you need air. My font depends completely on my state of mind. If I ever lose the power to fool people into believing whatever I want, I'd like to still be able to function without it."**

 _I can protect my brother WITHOUT any special powers..._

 **"Your font's never going to change. Even if it does, I can just reset. You worry too much,"** said Flowey confidently with a wave of his leaf. Papyrus shook his head disapprovingly.

 **"You don't worry enough. People change constantly whether they know it or not, and the future is not predetermined. We have no idea what it holds."**

 **"I do,"** replied Flowey, unwilling to give up on the argument.

 **"Up to a certain point. Tell me Flowey, if you didn't have the lifespan of a flower, if you could live as long as I, would you be able to?"**

Flowey looked away, fidgeting nervously with his petals, stroking them as if he were trying to clean them. The act was basically a white flag of surrender Papyrus had earlier learned.

 **"What do you mean?"** asked Flowey.

He knew what he meant.

 **"Could you live life knowing that not only were you going to make mistakes, but also be incapable of fixing all of them? Could you continue living if your actions had permanent consequences?"**

Flowey ceased his fidgeting and looked at Papyrus with a blank stare for a couple of moments before breaking into a smile. **"You know, despite all the resets I've done, I've never won this argument with you. I've tried all kinds of different avenues, but you always win."**

Flowey uncoiled the vine from around Papyrus and slowly slid to the ground, looking up at hole that granted everyone in the Underground hope, regardless of whether or not they knew of its existence. **"You always win because you're always right. I don't think I could live whilst having my freedom taken from me** **.** **It must be so hard being you. Living life constantly afraid of consequences...having to watch what you say and do all the time."**

Papyrus crossed his arms and glared down at the grinning plant.

He knew exactly where this was going.

 **"Golly, what would you do if Sans found out you were a** **murderer?** **Your font doesn't work on skeletons. He'd probably hate you forever..."** Flowey pressed his leaves to his cheeks as if he were worried.

 **"Enough."**

 **"He might even turn you into the Royal Guard. Can you imagine the look on Undyne's face if she found out the serial killer she was looking for was her own little trainee?"**

 **"I SAID ENOUGH!"**

Papyrus bounded toward Flowey, eye sockets glowing fiercely as his rage took control.

 **"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Easy! Take it easy! It was a** _ **joke**_ **! I'd never rat you out! I'd never rat you out Papyrus!** _ **I'm telling the truth!"**_

 **"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN ME!"** screamed Papyrus as he chased Flowey around the patch of golden flowers.

 **"Pappy, noooo!"**

 _CRACK!_

 _THUMP!_

 _ **"**_ **HAH!"**

Papyrus jumped backward just in time to avoid having a small human land on his head.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

 **Born to Suffer**

* * *

 **"Oh dear..."**

 **"That is un-fortunate. Heh heh..."**

The two exchanged worried looks, one false and the other sincere.

The human looked to be another child; male possibly due to the striped blue sweater, but as always it was impossible for Papyrus to be sure.

 _Where are all these little beasties coming from? Why are only children climbing and falling down Mt. Ebott?_

Questions that bothered Papyrus quite a bit, but would have to be answered later.

Light had begun to shine down upon the Special Place, signaling the coming of dawn and thus Her Highness.

 **"This is a problem,"** said Flowey, looking at the child.

 **"What is?"** asked Papyrus.

 **"The stick that broke all the other human's fall, broke."** Flowey pointed to the stick the small child was clutching in their small fist.

He and Flowey had over the years, relied heavily on this one miniature miracle that had most likely saved the other children from dying from the fall.

Without the stick, the children would die before Her Highness reached them, and their soul would vanish. Its disappearance meant that the odds of gaining another soul were greatly decreased.

Flowey _needed_ that soul.

Without it, Flowey could never feel anything but negative emotions that fed the Determination that kept him alive...not without consequences that is.

Hatred, sadness, anger, pain, frustration, and fear were the emotions that sparked a person's Determination to solve the problems creating them. You couldn't live without it.

Flowey couldn't make Determination like everyone else could. He only had a set amount and when it ran out Flowey was doomed. He _usually_ wasmiserable though. He _had_ to be. Happiness would destroy his Determination. The problem was, although Flowey claimed not to feel anything but negativity, his actions said different.

You don't laugh unless you're having some kind of fun, and Flowey laughed a lot.

Papyrus feared that every time Flowey made a funny sarcastic remark or had fun hurting someone, he shortened his life and his Determination permanently decreased a little. It was his Determination that allowed him to "load his save file". Without it, Flowey would wilt, die, and never come back. Misery was his sunlight, his oxygen, his water, the evil soil that kept him _alive_.

Or maybe Papyrus didn't know what he was talking about.

Regardless, he was sure that Flowey was no naturally born creature. No god would create such a wretched being. No, this was the work of science. Freaking. Science.

* * *

 _"You should be more grateful Papyrus, without science you wouldn't even BE here."_

* * *

Shaking the memory of his father away, he started to head out of the Ruins.

 **"Take good care of our guest Flowey, won't you? It'd be a shame if anything were to happen to them,"** said Papyrus, grinning deviously.

Flowey put a leaf up to his head in salute. **"You can count on me Pappy!"**

No he couldn't.

But Papyrus was fine with that.

They both had a deadline to meet, but Flowey's was so much shorter. There was once a time where he was able to live for months at a time.

Now he had three weeks between resets.

Papyrus was going to lose his friend if something wasn't done quickly.

Although he was worried about Flowey being happy, he had thought that the fear created automatically by his font would keep Flowey's Determination stable. Balance it out. He had thought they had all the time in the world and could focus on gathering seven souls to break the barrier first.

Breaking the barrier as quickly as possible was more important than everyone thought it was after all.

Papyrus's goal wasn't just to set everyone free, it was to keep them from extinction. With this tiny human, seven children would be reported missing after heading to Mt. Ebott. Too many missing humans, too many squandered opportunities to grab as many souls as possible, would result in Mt. Ebott becoming a problem. There would be enough complaints to spur the humans into taking action.

They would thoroughly seal up the Underground, and it wouldn't end with monsters just being trapped in the dark forever; EVERY opening would be sealed off. Not just the hole above the Special Place, but the rivers too. Every opening into the mountain would be sealed, and a dam would stop water flow in the Underground; if the Core didn't explode from overheating and cause a volcanic eruption, monsters would dehydrate and die of thirst.

 _I can't let that happen to Sans._

 _I WON'T._

 _But Flowey needs my help too..._

The threat was so terrible and Flowey never told him about his decreasing lifespan until only recently. Apparently he had tried to figure out what was causing it himself and finally given up.

He supposed it was hard for anyone in Flowey's position to trust someone. Of course, it wasn't Flowey's fault in the slightest.

It was science.

Freaking.

Science.

Papyrus sighed, looking back at the Ruins sadly.

Flowey never asked for this.

He never asked to be made into a pessimistic abomination, nor did he deserve the hell in which he lived.

It wasn't his fault he was who he was, and he didn't deserve to be punished for simply living.

Another thing he and his little friend had in common.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

 **Helping the Captain**

* * *

 **"SANS! WAKE UP LAZYBONES!"** Papyrus kicked open his brother's door as was his daily routine.

Sans, of course, was curled up fast asleep with his disgusting grease ball that USED to be a blanket. It was getting to where it was difficult to tell them apart, and Papyrus had to struggle to keep himself from vomiting.

 **"SANS!"**

 **"zzzz"**

 **"SANS I KNOW YOU'RE AWAKE, AND I AM NOT CARRYING YOU,"** yelled Papyrus, already pissed off. His lazy brother was going to miss work AGAIN. It was a miracle he hadn't lost his job already. It was true Sans brought home the most money from his job as a stand-up comedian, but his sentry work was important too. Their house was friggen' expensive damn it!

 **"zzzzzzz"**

 _I'm going to have to carry him._

Papyrus, thankful for his gloves, peeled Sans from his blanket and attempted to carry him out the door, only to be stopped short.

 **"LET GO OF THE DOOR FRAME BROTHER."**

 **"it's my door frame, you let go of me,"** replied Sans with a yawn.

 **"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR NONESENSE!"** Papyrus shouted as he tried to pull Sans off.

 **"we would if we both took the day off. we have vacation days..."**

 **"** _ **I**_ **HAVE VACATION DAYS,** _ **YOU**_ **HAVE TWO SECONDS TO LET GO."**

Papyrus angrily pulled Sans backward while watching the balcony behind him wearily.

 **"come on bro, you're killin' me..."** whined Sans pitifully.

 **"I'M ABOUT TO!"** yelled Papyrus slowly losing his temper.

Sans merely laughed and tightened his grip.

 **"OH MY GOD SANS! LET GO!"**

 **"that doesn't sound safe bro,"** said Sans still laughing.

Papyrus stopped pulling on Sans and crossed his arms. **"NOW WILL YOU GO TO WORK ON YOUR OWN?"**

 **"i don't REMEMBER agreeing to that."** Sans let out another yawn and stretched his arms up to the ceiling.

The taller skeleton took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. His rage was beginning to take control again.

 _I need to get out of here NOW._

Without another word, Papyrus headed down the stairs and towards the front door. **"You're lucky you've one hp, you little shit."**

 **"what?"**

 **"I SAID I HOPE YOU GET FIRED FOR THIS!"** shouted Papyrus from the bottom of the stairs.

No he didn't.

He loved Sans.

His brother was his everything. He was the only family Papyrus had left. He was the only thing that kept him grounded to reality. He was the one of the only reasons he didn't swan dive off the nearest cliff.

Sans was a fragile angel that everyone loved, and for good reason.

His font was Comic Sans, the Comedy Font. His power was the ability to make others laugh, regardless of whether or not he was funny. Simply talking with him made people happy.

Papyrus had vowed a long time ago to protect him, no matter the cost.

 **"oh. hey are you headin' to work? can i come too?** asked Sans as he leaned playfully over the balcony.

Papyrus didn't reply.

Instead, he headed out the door and began to travel to Undyne's house.

As much as he wanted to spend more time with his brother, he couldn't let Sans get too close to him or he'd get hurt. Protecting him on a daily basis was dangerous work after all. There were so many horrible monsters hanging out in the alley near the Resort where his brother routinely did his comedy acts, and it seemed like every time he killed one of the little insects, another would come buzzing in.

It wasn't just the Resort that was dangerous either.

 _WOOF!_

 _WOOF!_

A white dog in absurdly large armor charged at Papyrus full speed, flicking slobber everywhere and kicking up mountains of snow.

 **"NYEHA!"** Papyrus dodged the dog at the last second, somersaulting just in time to avoid being hit by the equivalent of a speeding train.

That armor was no joke. It was as heavy as it was large. Had the dog succeeded in jumping on him, it would have definitely broken more than a few bones.

 _Would Sans have dodged in time?_

Papyrus angrily threw a stick at him, only to have it brought back covered in saliva.

 _Idiotic creature. Why the hell is HE a Royal Guard and not me?!_

Sooo many problems would be fixed if he could just become a guard. Not only could he kill legally, but he'd be able to bring money home, AND he could keep a better eye on the hairy brutes that infested the town like a virus.

Why Sans had chosen to live in a town of dogs was beyond him.

Papyrus had to put on a ridiculous ruse everyday in order to direct everyone's attention away from his brother in Snowdin. He had to be loud, confusing, and obnoxious, in order to keep him alive.

All it would take was one hit. One playful pounce, one drunk down at Grillby's to throw a punch or toss something at Sans, and he'd be gone.

Undyne's place was one of the few places Papyrus could find solace away from all that. There he could train all day with Undyne and forget how easily he could lose his brother. He could forget the faces of the monsters who laughed at him back in Snowdin. He could forget about how close he was to losing the only friend he had who accepted him and all his faults without trying to change him.

He had to be careful about what he said though lately. Undyne was becoming more and more stressed as the days went by.

It was one of the drawbacks of protecting the Underground illegally.

Papyrus entered Waterfall and continued East, his boots splashing loudly in the puddles on the ground.

It was quiet and almost completely empty, and although he enjoyed the peace immensely, it meant that he was being watched by the hidden cameras more carefully.

Although Papyrus had taken expert care into staying out of the camera's view in the Resort area, he couldn't get rid of the dust. Every kill left it, and that was enough to catch the people's attention and thus Undyne's.

Luckily, Undyne wasn't the sharpest spear in the Underground. Fighting was her forte; not thinking. Detective work therefore, was not something she enjoyed.

Sadly, it had gotten to the point where the killings were all she talked about, and unfortunately for Papyrus, she wanted his help in catching the killer.

* * *

 **"Murder cases are like puzzles right? You got to find the hidden answers and crap like that. How bout' you help me out Papyrus? If you do, maybe I'll let you into the Royal Guard,"** Undyne placed her hands on her hips and flashed him a huge smile.

 **"MAYBE HUH?"**

 **"Well...I can't make any promises,"** said Undyne completely missing his cold stare.

Papyrus shook his head in disappointment.

* * *

She always did that.

Always held the prospect of becoming a Royal Guard right above his non-existent nose, as if it were a carrot and he a horse she wanted to move.

And it always ended the same way.

She would find some kind of excuse to keep him from becoming a guardsman. Most of her excuses were nonsense, but Papyrus knew better than to trigger her temper. She had a habit of doing and saying things without giving it proper thought when angry.

 _I wish I could trust you..._

But he couldn't.

She was like family to him. They'd known each other for years, she was a big sister who spent time with him and tried to teach him things. She encouraged him, and didn't mind being seen with him although she was famous. There were so many things she did that he was thankful for.

There were times when Papyrus thought about telling her he was the Resort Killer; the vigilante she had been stressing over. He wanted to take all the pressure off her and himself.

But he couldn't.

She had her flaws, and although he knew no one was perfect, they were flaws that kept him from being honest.

She was a liar who used him for her own ends.

She was using him to save money.

As long as he was a trainee, she didn't have to pay him for the errands she had him do. As long as he was a trainee, he was just a friend doing her favors; not a guardsman with a payroll.

He knew what she was doing.

That was going to end today though. It had become too difficult to train with Undyne without harming her. Her concentration was becoming worse and worse. Frustration over not being able to solve the murders made her reckless, and more than once he had almost skewered her with a bone attack.

Today he had to put his foot down. She either would make him a Royal Guard, or he'd go to trial. She needed to know the truth, for her own safety.

 _KNOCK KNOCK!_

Papyrus rapped on the front door of Undyne's house with his gloved hand.

It took a moment or two, but finally he heard movement from inside the house, and soon Undyne was greeting him with a big smile.

 **"What's up nerd? You're earlier than usual. Did you need something?"**

 **"YES UNDYNE. WE NEED TO TALK,"** said Papyrus nervously.

 **"Sure whatever, come on in."** Undyne waved him into the house and Papyrus stepped inside. He took a seat at the table and with a serious expression he motioned for her to do the same.

 **"Is something wrong? You don't look too good,"** Papyrus looked paler than usual to Undyne and she was immediately concerned for her friend.

 _I HAVE to trust her._

Taking a deep breath, Papyrus began.

 **"YES, SOMETHING IS WRONG. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP,"** said Papyrus solemnly.

"Undyne gave him a strange look, and he realized he needed to rephrase his sentence.

 **"I'M TALKING ABOUT OUR CAPTAIN/TRAINEE RELATIONSHIP,"** hesaid frowning. Papyrus had a high tolerance for stupidity, but it was too damn early for this.

Undyne sighed loudly. **"Dude, we talked about this a thousand times. I said maybe I'd let you into the Royal Guard if you helped me find the killer whose been slaughtering people in the Resort area."**

 **"I DON'T WANT A MAYBE, I WANT CONFIRMATION. I'M TIRED OF BEING LED ON."** said Papyrus sternly.

 **"I'm not leading you on! I told you, things come up sometimes! Damn..."** Undyne didn't like Papyrus talking to her like an adult. He did it rarely, but it always made her uneasy. Mostly because it meant he meant business and wasn't going to take anybody's crap. His intelligence seemed to skyrocket whenever he was like this and her excuses always seemed to fall flat. It was like he was a whole other person sometimes, a stranger she didn't know. It was like the Papyrus she had known for years was nothing more than an illusion he put on to fool everyone.

 _But what kind of psycho pretends to be someone else for ten years?_

Papyrus frowned and stood up, placing his hands on his hips and leaning across the table from Undyne like a mother scolding her child.

 **"THINGS 'COME UP'** _ **EVERY**_ **TIME. IT NEEDS TO STOP. EITHER PROMISE TO MAKE ME A GUARD, OR WE'RE DONE."**

Undyne stared wide-eyed at Papyrus in shock. **"What do you mean 'we're done?' Are you talking about our friendship?! Is the only reason we're friends is so you can become a guardsman?! You little** _ **PUNK**_ **!"** Undyne slammed her fist down on the table almost breaking it in two, and scowled viciously at Papyrus.

 **"DON'T TRY TO TWIST THIS AROUND! YOU'VE LIED TO ME FOR YEARS, AND IT'S BECAUSE I'M YOUR FRIEND THAT I'VE PUT UP WITH IT!"**

 **"I'M TRYING TO PROTECT YOU, YOU IDIOT!"** Undyne was getting more pissed by the second.

Papyrus took a deep breath.

It was now or never.

 **"With all due respect, I don't need your protection; this I promise you."**

Confused, Undyne blinked several times as if something were in her eye.

Papyrus's stance, look, and aura had completely changed in what seemed like an instant. He sat down with his hands folded, elbows propped up by the table. He peered at her behind his red gloves with a clam expression that made her VERY uncomfortable.

For as long as she'd known him, Papyrus had always been loud, excitable, and energetic. She had seen him angry, frightened, sad, confused, excited, happy, proud, serious, and disgusted.

But never calm.

Never quiet.

Never _sinister_.

He reminded her of a mob boss having a business discussion or a villain from one of Alphys' anime, plotting someone's demise.

 **"Undyne?"**

The sudden change hit her like a truck, and a thought that came after, hit her like a house.

Maybe she didn't know Papyrus.

It was true that he had always been fake, but she had thought it was always in order to get people to like him. He constantly pretended to like the same things she did, and truth be told she had always found it a little sad.

But how far did it go? Was he faking being fake?

 _Why would he do that? What kind of person would do that for years on end? What kind of person..._

Papyrus smiled behind his gloves as the answer dawned on her, filling her heart with an icy coldness she hadn't known in a long time.

 **"Figured it out did you?"**

 **"F-figured what out?"**

 _There's no way._

 **"Really Undyne?"** Papyrus gave her a look that said he wasn't buying it, but Undyne ignored it.

 **"Really what? How am I suppose to figure out you don't need protection if you've always been a weenie? I've never seen you hurt anyone! Being a Royal Guard means protecting others, but you can't do that if you can't bring yourself to destroy your opponents when you need to!"**

 **"You think I can't bring myself to hurt others, so you're keeping me out of the guard in order to keep me out of danger. Is that what you're saying?"**

 _Papyrus is harmless._

 **"That's what I said. You're harmless. You don't want to hurt people and you don't have what it takes to do so."**

 **"Is that right?"**

 **"Am I wrong?"**

 _I'm not wrong._

 **"Well, you definitely have an interesting opinion of me, that's for sure."**

 _I'M NOT WRONG!_

 **"You're acting weird."**

 **"I'm just being myself."**

 _Papyrus is my FRIEND!_

 **"I'm flattered you think so highly of me."**

 **"Well, that's why I'm not letting you into the Royal Guard. You can't kill which means you can't protect."**

 **"Nyeh hehehehe!"** Papyrus laughed coldly.

To think, he had suspected her of cheating him, but she was only trying to help.

He really was a pessimistic tool.

 **"Wh-why are you laughing like that?"** asked Undyne.

Papyrus put his arms down and flashed her a playful smile.

 **"What would you say if I told you I knew who the killer was?"**

Undyne glared at him with full force and angrily stood up from the table. **"I'd say you were full of crap! There are no clues! None! Nothing was left at ANY crime scene! There weren't even any finger prints, loose feathers, or slime trails! We have NOTHING linking us to ANYONE!"**

 _IT'S NOT HIM!_

 **"Now now, let's not make any unnecessary assumptions. What if they were wearing gloves like me?"** asked Papyrus stifling a laugh.

 _Is he being FUNNY right now?! Does he think this is a JOKE?!_

 **"Really dude?"**

 **"That's what I would do,"** shrugged Papyrus.

 **"REALLY DUDE?!"**

 **"What? Is that not a good idea?"**

 _This motherfucker..._

 **"You think this is funny? You think this is a JOKE? People are dead Papyrus! YOU WIPE THAT SADISTIC SMILE OFF YOUR FACE BEFORE I BREAK IT!"**

 **"I'm afraid I can't do that,"** said Papyrus. He knew he had to calm Undyne down, but he was just having too much fun.

 **"Why not?! And I swear to god if you say because you're a skeleton..."**

 **"..."**

 **"Get out of my house."**

 **"But I know who the killer is!"** exclaimedPapyrus grinning.

 **"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"**

 **"NYEH!"**

Papyrus ran outside and a barrage of spears followed in hot pursuit.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

 **Wake-Up Call**

* * *

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

Papyrus's cell phone went off about ten minutes after leaving Undyne's place.

He was surprised it had rung at all, as he assumed Undyne would need at least a day to calm down and sort things out.

 **"HELLO?"**

 **"hey bro, what's up?"**

It was Sans...strange.

 **"GREETINGS BROTHER! I ASSUME YOU NEED SOMETHING? YOU KNOW I TRAIN WITH UNDYNE AROUND THIS TIME."**

 **"really? Cause' undyne called me and said you just left...and that you were fired."**

 _He knows. Oh god, he knows..._

 **"SHE'S JUST UPSET, THAT'S ALL. I DON'T EVEN HAVE A JOB TO GET FIRED FROM AFTER ALL! NYEH HEH HEH!"**

 _That evil harlot told him! I know she did!_

 **"alright, i was just checking to see if you were okay. i've got some errands to run, so catch ya' later."**

 **"UNDERSTOOD! I LOVE YOU."**

 _She'll pay for this!_

 **"love you too pap, see ya'."**

Sans hung up and sat at his post in silence, his sockets dark, and his thought racing.

It was quiet today in the Waterfall area like it was yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. What was once full of socializing monsters was now a barren wasteland in comparison. The population had gone down immensely because of some killer that was running around the Resort area. Sans couldn't even sell hotdogs in Waterfall anymore due to lack of customers.

It was so quiet, the numerous waterfalls were actually loud, which Sans was grateful for. Had it been quiet, it would have felt like a dark tomb.

Sans shivered as a chill ran up his spine.

Undyne had said Papyrus had been fired, but she said a lot of other things too...things Sans wasn't quite sure he believed.

Papyrus?

The serial killer?

The idea had never crossed his mind.

Out of all the people in the Underground, he would have guessed Papyrus last.

Sans tried to picture him strangling someone, or drowning them, or simply blasting them away with his blasters, but he couldn't do it.

He just couldn't see him being anything but naive and silly.

 _Heh heh heh...what if that's his plan though?_

Sans smiled to himself.

It was an entertaining thought.

His little brother, a highly intelligent evil mastermind hell bent on ending the lives of anyone and everyone that ever made fun of him.

 **"yeah okay, and i'm a human in disguise."**

Sans chuckled to himself and got up from his post, teleporting to the docks in Waterfall.

It wasn't break time, but he needed one.

Although the thought of his little brother harming anyone was laughable, something didn't feel right. For some reason Sans felt nervous.

The cool air blowing in from Hotland made the flaps of his hoodie flutter as he walked along the silent docks.

Waterfall was as beautiful as ever. He had always liked the place. The soft blue glow of the mushrooms and plants lit up the area and made it seems like a whole other world. The gems lodged in the walls and ceiling added to the appeal, making him feel like he was somewhere in space and not trapped under the earth.

In a way, Sans was glad there weren't as many monsters around. It was a horrible thing to wish for, but he knew if the place became too congested Waterfall would be destroyed. This place was more sacred to him than anywhere else. He wanted it to remain untouched by pollution, yet sadly he knew that if he went any further right, that's exactly what he'd run into.

The small skeleton turned left in order to avoid the area humans and monsters had spoiled with trash, but the decision proved to be one that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

 _What is that smell?_

Sans stopped for a moment and looked about him as if he could somehow spot the smell itself.

It was true that below him lay a pile of garbage, but he was all the way to the left, and this odor was STRONG.

 _What the hell is that?_

Sans continued walking forward and found that the further he walked, the stronger the stench became.

Finally, he saw a tall patch of grass with flies buzzing about it.

The smell was almost unbearable at this point, but Sans knew whatever was in that patch of grass needed to be taken to the dump.

Reaching down into the tall grass, Sans felt along the ground searching for anything that didn't feel like a rock or dirt. His boney fingers soon brushed against something soft and silky and his wrist bumped against something hard and sticky. The silky thing felt like a ribbon, and slowly Sans pulled it up, his non-existent stomach full of dread.

The ribbon was attached to a pair of ballet shoes...and the ballet shoes were attached to a pair of feet.

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

Sans barely heard his phone as he gazed in horror at the occupied shoes dangling from the ribbon he held that was apparently attached. The ballet shoes twisted slightly as his hand shook.

 _These belong to a kid..._

The ballet shoes were a soft hue of pink and they stretched to a point where they could have fit him. At one time they might have been pretty, but now they were spotted with dirt and stank like spoiled meat.

Sans imagined a little girl dancing happily to music he'd never heard with a smile plastered to her face as her parents applauded her.

She might of grown up to be a famous dancer, entertaining hundreds if not thousands of people, but instead she had somehow fallen into the Underground and was...was...

 _What DID happen here?_

Holding his breath, Sans held the shoes closer to his face in order to get a better look.

Chunks of flesh had rotted away from the ankles revealing the bone underneath, and the top parts of the severed feet right above the ankles looked like they had been burned severely to the point where the shoes themselves were free of blood due to the stumps being cauterized.

There was only one way they could get like that without burning the shoes.

 _She was blasted by magic. Magic strong enough to break bone._

Sans dropped the shoes back into the grass as if they had burned him, and stumbled backwards, a dark thought entering his mind.

 _Bullshit._

Sans quickly grabbed a glowing mushroom and walked up to the wall opposite of him, studying it closely.

He slid a finger across the stone wall and then stopped. His finger came back black. The stone wall was scorched.

Using the light of the mushroom, he saw that the only place that wasn't completely black, was the middle. An outline of a little girl was embedded in the wall.

 _Oh my god..._

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

Sans slowly took out his phone and answered.

 **"sup?"**

 **"Ahh..umm, yo."**

Alphys?

That was rare.

 **"H-hey Sans, sorry we haven't spoken in awhile. I know you're probably mad at me, but this is really important."**

Sans quickly tried to pull himself together. He had completely forgotten that Alphys had asked him to stop by.

 **"i'm not mad at you alph, i just got lost in thought is all. i didn't have a map either soo..."**

 **"It's fine, just come quickly. Please?"** Alphys sounded desperate.

 **"gotcha' be there in a flash. i need a few minutes though."**

 **"I understand, just as long as you show up today."** With that, Alphys hung up.

Sans slipped his phone back into his pocket and sat down on the closest dock.

His reflection shimmered in the water as he kicked his feet in the cold stream. His slippers were drenched now, but that was the least of his concerns.

He tried not to think of Papyrus or what he might be doing at the moment, but the more he tried to block him out, the more he invaded his thoughts.

 _Undyne sounded super pissed when she called. She and Pap must have had an argument. What was it about? Did Papyrus finally realize she was never going to let him into the guard? Did she tell him?_

 _My bro's got a temper. They both have tempers._

 _Did-did he...?_

The illusion that his little brother could and would never hurt anyone had been shattered. Obliterated.

He was suddenly questioning everything he knew about him, and wondered what he was capable of. The idea that Undyne was right, although ridiculous before, now seemed likely.

VERY likely.

 _If Pap could kill a little kid..._

The kid may have been human, but it was still a kid. Regardless of the species, she had been somebody's little girl.

Did Papyrus feel guilty at all? Did he feel any sort of remorse?

 _I don't know._

It was true, Papyrus had always been narcissistic. Everything was about him, and if it wasn't, he MADE it about him. Was he incapable of caring about others though?

 _It could just be an act. He could just be copying Mettaton._

Sans gave the water one last kick before standing up, and placing his hands in his pockets _._ He frowned at his reflection.

 _Who the hell are you Papyrus?_

Sans fingered the phone that lay nestled deep in his pocket. It had once been filled with the names of friends, people he cared about.

Not anymore.

 _Is that your fault Pappy?_

Taking out his phone, Sans dialed his brother's number.

He didn't know what he was going to say.

One ring...two rings...three...

An answering machine.

 _Damn._

He listened to Papyrus's message intending to leave a message asking him to call back. While waiting he stared down at the planks in the dock. The wood was so old he was surprised that it was anywhere near stable. The docks in Waterfall had been around since Asgore first established New Home. Hundreds of monsters had walked these wooden planks devastated by the loss of family members, friends, and futures.

Sans bent down and placed a hand on the one of the planks. He could almost feel the despair that had sunk into the wood. Waterfall was beautiful and he loved it, true, but it was a place of tears. The whole Underground would end up this way if something wasn't done.

 _Maybe he just lost it. He's been wanting to be a guard, trying to become one, for as long as I can remember. If Undyne finally fessed up, then he was probably devastated._

 _She filled his head with so many promises, and had him do so many things for her. He's spent most of his life running errands for her, thinking she was a true friend._

 _If she had done that to me, I'd of tried to kill her._

After the message ended, he opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Not because he didn't know what to say...

But because someone was staring at him from between the planks.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

 **A King's Duty**

* * *

 **"Papyrus, you are under arrest for the murder of so many people, we can't even name them all."**

Papyrus turned around sharply in surprise. He had been waiting for Undyne to show up with the guards in the Grey Corridor, but the captain's loud voice still startled him.

 **"WHAT?!"**

 **"Don't 'what' me, you little punk! You admitted it back at my place!"**

Undyne motioned for the two guards on her right to cuff Papyrus.

 **"I DID NO SUCH THING! I SAID I KNEW WHO THE KILLER WAS!"** yelled Papyrus angrily.

This was planned, but it still upset him off that she'd arrest him without a second thought. A real friend would have talked to him _first_ , then sent him to trial if they couldn't settle things peacefully. A real friend would have tried to find out why he was doing the things he was, tried to get him to change...

 **"You can tell it to King Asgore, you piece of crap,"** said Undyne as the guards slapped the cuffs on Papyrus.

She walked ahead of him and a brisk pace, refusing to look back at him.

Papyrus had hoped that he and Undyne could come to an agreement. It was a FACT that his murders were helping the Underground; the only problem was his help was illegal as long as he wasn't a guard.

 **"THIS IS UNBELIEVEABLE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD NEVER HARM AN INNOCIENT!"**

Undyne and the two guards ignored him. They led Papyrus down the Grey Corridor towards the Judgment Hall in silence.

Papyrus was fuming.

She could of looked the other way. She could of been a friend and put an end to all this peacefully. She could of made him a guard, and he could have continued his work without everyone feeling scared.

But she just haad to play hero.

The worst part was, she fully expected him to be found guilty, and executed.

 **"NYOO HOO HOO! I WAS ONLY TRYING TO HELP YOU UNDYNE! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?"** whined Papyrus as loudly and pitifully as he could. His voice echoed throughout the empty corridor.

Undyne said nothing.

Of course she would.

She didn't care about him. She NEVER cared about him. She was only friends with him because she felt sorry for him. He was just another chance she saw to play hero. A chance to look like a good person and help the poor, friendless, annoying skeleton nobody liked.

Papyrus should of known better.

 _How dare she..._

Reaching the golden hallway, Undyne pushed Papyrus to stand before Asgore.

 **"Good morning Papyrus,"** said Asgore with a polite nod.

 **"GOOD MORNING YOUR MAJESTY,"** said Papyrus cheerfully, as if he didn't want to tear out Undyne's throat with his teeth.

Undyne grit her own and punched Papyrus in the back of the head.

 **"OW!"**

 **"STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!"** roared the knight captain.

 **"LIKE WHAT?"** asked Papyrus, rubbing the back of his skull.

 **"ALL LOUD AND OBNOXIOUS!"** Undyne clenched her hands into fists hard enough to draw blood. Papyrus couldn't remember ever seeing her so furious.

Good.

 **"If you wanted me to lower my voice, you could have just asked."** he said as calmly as he could.

 **"DON'T ACT LIKE THAT'S NOT HOW YOU NORMALLY TALK!"**

 _Fuck you, you stupid bitch._

 **"Enough Undyne!"** The king tapped his trident on the golden floor forcefully. Not enough to crack the tile, but enough to get everyone's attention.

 **"B-but he...Papyrus he-"**

 **"We are here to judge whether or not he's innocent, how he talks is of no concern,"** said Asgore firmly.

 _Yeah, that's right. Keep that hideous mouth of yours shut._

 **"Now normally, Sans would be the judge, but based on the situation, I felt it would be fairer to do so myself. He is your brother after all."**

Papyrus nodded.

 **"I understand your majesty. I, the Great Papyrus, will cooperate as best I can."**

 **"Fuck you, Papyrus,"** muttered Undyne.

 _I'm gonna cunt-punt her to the friggen' moon._

Papyrus could feel his rage building, but he kept his eyes on Asgore and a smile on his face. Being the Lying Font made him an incredible actor and he needed those natural skills here as much as he needed his patients.

 **"If I need to have someone escort you out of the hall Undyne, I will. Now, Papyrus, why don't you tell us your version of what happened this morning?"**

 **"Nyeh?"**

 **"The conversation you and Undyne had,"** explained the king patiently.

 **"Oh, yes! I visited Undyne this morning with good news and she went nuts!"**

 **"OH, BULLSHIT!"** Forming an energy spear, Undyne rushed at Papyrus, but the two guards held her back by the arms.

 _Let her go. Please, let her go. I don't mind wearing down the knuckles on these gloves, I can get new ones. Go ahead and give me an excuse._

 **"One more word out of turn, and you're gone Undyne!"** warned Asgore as he shot Undyne a fierce look. **"Continue Papyrus."**

 **"We also talked about me, joining the guard, but she said no because she thought I couldn't bring myself to protect anyone to the best of my ability. Ridiculous yes?"**

 **"I see, and what was this 'good news' you had for Undyne?"**

Papyrus struck a heroic pose, his cape blowing behind him with the help of his magic.

 **"I, the Great Papyrus, have found your killer!"** he exclaimed proudly.

Both Undyne and Asgore's brows shot up in surprise.

 _I thought for sure he'd deny telling me, was I...was I wrong?_

 **"Really? You've found the person we're looking for?"**

Asgore smiled reluctantly.

This "problem" had been going on for months. He had no idea when the killings started, but it had gotten to the point where not only did people start noticing, but they'd started complaining as well.

The monsters that went missing were usually dealers he couldn't pin anything on, due to the fact that they knew to stay out of the camera's watchful, yet stationary eye. All Asgore had were witnesses...witnesses that went missing themselves when found out.

The king, when he learned the Resort Killer was mostly killing dealers, had admittedly not put any effort into finding out who they were. The Underground had at one time been a den full of criminals due to overpopulation and lack of jobs. Every day there was a story about a shop getting robbed or a citizen getting mugged, but now the only things put in the newspaper were games and puzzles. The more monsters that disappeared, the less crime there was. Asgore could only assume the monsters he didn't know about, were thieves or killers themselves.

He still wasn't sure if he regretted his decision to turn a blind eye to the Resort Killer, or if catching them was a good idea.

 **"Indeed I did! My magnificent mind has already easily deduced who the guilty monster is!"**

 **"Well, best to tell me who it is in private. After all, everyone is a suspect. Even those guards over there,"** said Asgore, pointing to RG 01 and 02. **"We wouldn't want you getting hurt."**

 _I can't let the Underground return to the way it was, regardless of whether or not it's justified._

 **"Ah I see! Very clever you're Highness! As long as they're unsure of whether or not I'm correct, I'll be safe! You two oughta be ashamed of yourselves!"**

 **"Now now Papyrus, we don't know they're guilty yet. They're just suspects like everyone else,"** chuckled Asgore.

 **"Seriously?! Me and my bro, we're like, the top two guards in the Royal Guard!"** said 01, clearly offended.

 **"Which is a great cover-up,"** replied Asgore, matter-of-factly.

Undyne narrowed her eyes.

 _Something's up._

 **"Everyone else? You don't suspect my brother, do you your Majesty?"**

 **"He may have only one AT and HP, but that's a good cover-up too. No one would suspect Sans..."** the king smiled at Papyrus, enjoying the ruse. As soon as the skeleton mentioned Sans the pieces fell into place motive wise. He was actually a big fan of his brother's comic routines and he knew the Resort area was the most dangerous place in the Underground.

 _If Papyrus IS the Resort Killer, Sans is quite lucky. Not every sibling would get dust on their hands to protect their brother. How could I punish such devotion? Especially when Papyrus is the one gathering souls for everyone?_

 **"*Gasp* Sans would NEVER!"** Papyrus put his hands up over his mouth pretending to be horrified. **"MY brother a criminal? That's outrageous!"**

 **"Is it though?"**

 **"MY BROTHER WOULDN'T HURT A FLY!"**

 **"Possibly, but what about a person?"**

 **"NEVER! LIES, SLANDER! THIS IS MADNESS! HE IS AN INNOCENT!"** yelled Papyrus stomping his foot repeatedly.

 **"Maybe."**

 **"NO NOT 'MAYBE' DEFINITELY! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE MY BROTHER OF SUCH HEINOUS ACTS?! I WON'T STAND FOR IT!"** Papyrus pointed at Asgore looking livid, but feeling amused.

 **"Hmm...perhaps I should bring in Sans for questioning. Being the kind and caring brother that you are, you may be covering for him..."**

Undyne's eyes grew wide.

 _Was THAT what Papyrus was doing?! Was he trying to tell me his brother was the killer?! I'm his best friend so he WOULD confine in me...THAT'S HOW HE KNOWS WHO THE KILLER IS!_

 _Oh god...I told Sans his brother was the killer! He knows Papyrus came to talk to me! Will he go after Papyrus once he's found innocent? Will he come after me?_

 **"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"**

 **"You don't need to be afraid of your brother Papyrus, we can protect you. You have my word as king."**

 _So Papyrus IS covering for Sans! Sans is the killer!_

 _With his..one HP...and one AT._

 _..._

 **"Really? Do you even know what he's capable of?"** Papyrus put his hands up to his face again as if he were afraid.

 _This is stupid._

 **"Are you admitting your brother's the killer?"**

 _They're both being stupid._

 **"No no! It's purely a hypothetical question!"** said Papyrus waving his hands.

 _This trial is bullshit._

 **"Well alright, I trust you Papyrus. When you're ready to come forward let me know."** Asgore strightened his robe. **"I also want to thank you for your honesty. We actually have footage of your conversation with Undyne, given to us by an anonymous source."**

 **"Eh?"**

 **"Who the hell put a camera in my house?!"**

 **"That's not important, what IS important is that we wrap up this case as quickly as possible before any more monsters get hurt. Unfortunately, I've been very busy and I'll need some time before our next audience."** Asgore smiled and turned to leave.

 _Is that right?_

Papyrus smiled back at the king.

He knew he could count on Asgore. Asgore was a monster who knew how to do his job right, despite whatever peer pressure he was exposed to, or guilt he had to bear. If Papyrus ever had a hero to look up to, it was the king.

Papyrus wasn't there when both of his children died, but he had heard what had happened afterwards from the grape vine. Apparently Asgore had decided that every human that fell into the Underground would have to die so that their souls could be used to free everyone, but Her Highness didn't like that idea. She thought that killing children that fell into Mt. Ebott was a beastly and disgusting thing to do.

 _What's disgusting is how easily she abandoned her husband while he was grieving for their children and trying to keep the Underground together._

Poor Asgore. He still loved Her Highness even though it was clear that she was nothing more than a selfish hypocrite. If she really cared about the fallen children, she would have escorted them to the barrier and given up her soul. She could have even fought Asgore and taken his...but she didn't.

She never really cared about the humans, she only wanted to be a mother again. As soon as any child snuck out of her home at night, they became dead to her.

It wasn't just her husband and the fallen children she abandoned either; she ignored the wishes of the entire kingdom.

She was suppose to help look after the people, she was suppose to offer them hope, but what she wanted was of more importance to her. She didn't care if everyone remained underground, just as long as _she_ didn't get blood on her hands.

She never had what it took to be Queen. Someone like her could NEVER fully put someone else above themselves.

 _A true hero does whatever they can to protect their loved ones, even if it means earning and bearing their hatred. Anyone who puts the law, their conscious, or their own personal sense of honor before the ones they love deserves to lose everything they hold dear._

Papyrus continued to watch Asgore leave and felt himself become inspired anew.

 _As long as I breathe you will NEVER have to kill a child your Highness. The little vermin won't get anywhere near the Throne Room, just hang on a while longer..._

 **"This was an audience? I thought this was like, a trial or something?"** whispered 01 to 02.

 _Just two more souls. Two more souls and everyone will be safe. If Flowey's information is correct, one of them should be hiding out at the dump..._

 **"It wasn't. Undyne arrested Papyrus without any evidence whatsoever. What this was, was a waste of time. No disrespect to you, Undyne. A guard is not the same as a detective. I'm proud of you for giving it your all, though from you, I expect no less."** With that, Asgore left the Judgment Hall and returned to the Throne Room.

 **"Do not worry Undyne. You arrested me only after you learned that I knew who the killer was. It's obvious you were trying to protect us both. A murderer wouldn't attack a witness surrounded by guards, and they wouldn't attack a guard who suspected the wrong person. An ingenious plan if I do say so myself!"** Papyrus flashed her a large smile, as 01 and 02 uncuffed him.

Undyne didn't smile back.

She kept her eyes downcast and said nothing.

 _Regardless of whether or not Sans is guilty or Papyrus and Asgore were just putting on a show to confuse the suspects, I was still wrong._

 _What if Papyrus DOES know who the killer was? How much trouble have I gotten Papyrus into? The longer he has to wait for an audience..._

 _He came to me for help and I...I..._

 **"What's wrong Undyne? Are you alright?"**

 _Maybe she needs some ice for that burn Asgore gave her. Nyeh heh heh..._

Undyne rubbed the tears out of her eyes and spoke.

 **"I'm sorry Papyrus. I am so sorry. I've been so paranoid this month-"** Undyne shook her head. **"No...no that's no excuse. I should never have suspected you. I've stabbed you in the back more than once. I've done it for years. You...you deserve better."** Undyne held her arms and continued staring at the ground.

She was scum.

She really was.

 _I can't believe I arrested Papyrus when he was just trying to help me. He might have even been seeking help and I turned him away. I yelled at him and accused him and put him in handcuffs..._

 _I can't believe I really thought it was him..._

Out of all the people in the Underground, she accused her best friend. A friend she had known for years, and who had agreed without hesitation to help her solve a dangerous case without pay.

She didn't deserve a friend like him.

How close had she come to getting him executed?

 _I could have gotten the little jerk killed._

 _Oh my god..._

 _I told Sans his little brother was a serial killer..._

 **"Honestly, I can't imagine a better friend than the one I have now. Don't be sad Undyne! I've already forgiven you!"**

 _You better help me patch things up with Sans, or we're going to have issues all over again._

 **"Idiot."**

 **"You're not an idiot,"** Papyrus reassured her. **"Twas ' merely a lapse in judgment. You can't be perfect if you're not me, but that's okay, because everyone here loves and supports you no matter how many mistakes you make."**

Laughing, despite her tears, she punched Papyrus lightly in the arm. **"You're a real piece of work, you know that dweeb? Thanks."**

 **"Always glad to be of assistance! Now about the Royal Guard..."**

 _I swear to every god out there, if she doesn't make me a guard after the stunt she just pulled, I'm adding fish to my next batch of spaghetti..._

 **"I'll tell you what, prove to me that you can kill if necessary. Bring to me a human soul, and I PROMISE YOU I will make you a Royal Guard."**

Papyrus jumped up and down in excitement.

 **"Consider it done, Captain!"**

 _Finally._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

 **In His Shoes**

* * *

 **"hello?"**

Sans bent down and peered closer at the eye staring at him between the planks. It was dark down there, but he was _sure_ it was in fact an eye.

The owner of it said nothing.

 **"hey there buddy, you okay?"**

Silence.

 **"..."**

 _SPLASH!_

Without thinking, Sans jumped into the water and swam under the docks. He felt himself being pulled to the thing that had been watching him like a magnet to metal.

It was even darker under the planks. He began to search blindly with his hands, driven by an impulse he didn't understand. Hair tangled in his fingers, but the owner of the eye gave no indication that they were in pain.

 _What the hell is this guy's problem?_

 _Wait..._

His sockets grew wide as he realized he was grabbing a body.

Sans immediately drew back in disgust, but the body followed him. In his panic, he gasped and foul tasting water seeped into his mouth. Scrambling onto the dock, he fell to his knees, coughing and spitting in a desperate attempt to rid himself of the taste. The smell of rotting flesh was overwhelming and he gagged, getting up and staggering away from the area as best he could until something held him.

His hand was still tangled in the body's hair and the corpse was stuck on the dock preventing him from moving forward.

Sans took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself and ended up gagging again.

Slowly and carefully he untangled the hair from his fingers and let it fall onto the dock.

 _You really suck bro..._

He sighed, looking at the bloated carcass with a grimace.

He couldn't just leave it there, especially since it was affecting the water supply. All the water located after the docks was polluted by trash. This was all the clean drinking water they had.

 _Water you waiting for? It won't bite...probably._

Bending down, Sans tried pulling the body out of the water. He was careful with his pulling. He didn't want an arm to come off, and he certainly didn't want to end up holding a handful of flesh simply because he had pulled too hard and it had slid off some bone.

Finally managing to get the corpse onto the dock, Sans saw that it was completely blackened.

 _I guess she wasn't disintegrated after all...if it's even her._

It had to be her.

She was missing her feet.

Her eyes, bright blue, stared at Sans lifelessly. The fact that they weren't burned away by the blast, meant that she had closed them before she was hit...and the fact that they were staring at him, meant that she had survived long enough to open them again.

 _Did Papyrus drown her?_

Sans gathered up the poor child and teleported down to the dump.

He knew nothing about human funerals, but he knew the garbage would cover up the smell wafting from her. It was the only way he knew how to preserve whatever dignity she had left.

He wanted to place her somewhere where the other monsters wouldn't find her, somewhere she could rest in peace without her smell bothering anyone.

 _If I were Paps, where would I stash a body?_

It was a morbid thought, but in a strange messed-up way, thinking like his murderous brother made Sans feel happy, excited even. It made him feel closer to Papyrus somehow; like he could understand him better. It felt like they were growing more and more apart as the years went by. Even if he was more violent then he thought, it felt good to learn something new about his brother.

 _Papyrus wouldn't intentionally pollute his own drinking water. He wanted her to go down one of the falls and into the dump so he wouldn't have to carry her the long way around._

 _Without her feet she couldn't have gone too far. He probably drowned her near the blast area, and the current must of carried her to the dock where she got stuck. That means..._

 **"the best place to put her is in the area with the yellow flowers,"** Sans said proudly.

He wondered for a few seconds if his little brother would be proud of him too, then brushed the thought away.

 _I probably shouldn't be proud of being able to think like a child murderer._

Walking through the gross water, Sans tried his best to stay quiet. He shook with every step, paranoia gripping his non-existing heart, trying to go as slow as possible.

He didn't want anyone to spot him carrying the human less they ask questions. No one would believe a monster with one attack point had killed a human, even if it WAS just a little girl.

Although Papyrus was a deceitful murderer, he felt no anger towards his brother. He had no desire to blow the cover Papyrus had worked on for...what? Nineteen years? His brother needed his help, not his hate.

 _Wait, no, he's still innocent until proven guilty. Killing humans isn't illegal, and it's for the greater good. Papyrus didn't LIE either. He never SAID he couldn't harm anybody, I just assumed he couldn't. I'm not being fair._

Sans continued his slow steps.

 _For all I know, this human attacked him. I bet that's what happened. There's no way this kid got all the way to Waterfall without dusting some monsters._

 _She's not even wearing a tutu. She probably changed into...whatever this was, so her defense would go up, and kept the shoes because they had great attack. Hell, maybe she changed her shoes and never came here wearing a tutu. Papyrus always tries to talk his way out of fights; she must have been super violent right?_

Sans looked down at the corpse he was carrying; anger and guilt beginning to well up inside of him. His anger wasn't aimed at the girl however, but at himself. The little kid was probably taught to hate and fear monsters her whole life, so it was only natural that she mow them down and collect as much EXP as she could in order to survive. Sans was the one at fault here, not her and certainly not Papyrus.

 _I can't believe I blamed Papyrus first. He'd never hurt anyone unless he had to._

 _What would I have said if he had picked up the phone? I would have broken his heart into a million pieces._

 _..._

 _..._

 _...why DIDN'T he pick up the phone?_

The small skeleton swallowed hard.

That wasn't like Papyrus. He usually jumped at the chance to answer his phone. In fact, he couldn't remember a time when a call of his had gone unanswered.

 _What could possibly be keeping him from answering his phone?_

 _Even though he has the day off, it's not like he has any friends besides me and Undyne to talk to. Well, I guess it's just me now..._

Sans sighed softly, feeling sorry for his brother. He loved Papyrus so much.

More than he knew.

He wanted his little brother to be happy and have lots of friends, but no one in town seemed to like Papyrus for some reason.

He sounded fine over the phone when he asked about Undyne, so he assumed Papyrus was okay.

But now Sans realizing how little sense that made.

He probably WAS heartbroken and trying to keep it from worrying Sans.

 _Even if he was in a shop, he'd hear his phone wouldn't he? He'd of at least texted me back right? Told me he was busy?_

Sans walked behind a trash pile and lay the charred corpse in the water beside him.

 _I need to call him again._

 _This time he should pick up._

 _He was probably daydreaming and didn't hear his phone, or maybe he was crying in his room and didn't hear it. That sounds more like Papyrus._

Sans pushed the number needed on his cell phone, and listened.

One ring...two rings...three...

Nothing.

 _Why isn't he picking up?!_

Sans immediately teleported home and raced up the stairs towards Papyrus's bedroom.

The room was as clean as it ever was. His racecar bed was made, the carpet with flames was vacuumed, and his books were all still in their alphabetical places. His computer was switched off...and his brother was nowhere to be found.

 _He's not here..._

Sans sat down on the bed, feeling drained. Fear and panic gripped him, but he couldn't seem to get his body to react. His sockets were dark, but his thoughts were even darker.

 _There's no way he's at the Core, he hates it there. He hates Hotland in general._

 **"maybe he dropped his phone..."**

 _He's dead._

" **no."**

 _He couldn't handle losing Undyne as a friend, and he jumped off a cliff somewhere; maybe even into the Core._

 **"no, no, no, no!"**

 _He's not answering his phone, because he's not around anymore._

 **"papyrus wouldn't DO that!"**

 _Right?_

It was true Papyrus was almost friendless, but he had Sans!

Sometimes...

 _Heh...who am I kidding?_

 _I'm always at Grillby's._

 _Papyrus spends all his time with Undyne; I'm hardly ever around. She was all he really had. All he had were her and his dreams; and he lost both of them at once._

 _He was probably crying his eyes out right here, hoping SOMEBODY would come in and make everything all better._

Sans looked at the action figures he had bought Papyrus. He used to play with them all the time until he got a computer. It had become a tradition to buy one for his little brother every year, and every year his brother had gotten a new one; but this year...

He should have been there for him. A simple phone call wasn't good enough. He _knew_ losing Undyne was going to destroy him, but he didn't want to deal with a bunch of drama.

It was his fault.

Papyrus needed him and he let him down. He probably died thinking no one cared about him or liked him. He probably spent a long time staring down the cliff's drop; hoping someone would stop him...

 _Nah._

 _He was probably happy to go. I can't remember the last time I've seen him smile. He's always been yelling, and frustrated, and angry. Papyrus was miserable. He probably jumped with a smile._

 _Everyone in Snowdin made fun of him, and Undyne kept disappointing him and giving him more errands..._

 _Papyrus wasn't completely stupid. He probably knew the guard thing was never gonna happen. It was just denial._

 _He was probably happy to be rid of all that. No more being made fun of, no more errands, no more lies, no more being lonely..._

 **"*sniff*"**

Sans eyes filled with tears and spilled from his sockets onto his hoodie.

 _I'm all alone now..._

 _I'll never be able to eat his spaghetti again, I'll never be able to help him with another puzzle, I'll never hear him yell at me for being lazy, I'll never hear his voice again PERIOD._

 **"my little bro, please..."**

 _I'll never hear him laugh, I'll never see him smile, I'll never see HIM. No one will ever hug me again, no one will ever pick me up and carry me around again, no one will ever welcome me home, no one will ever tell me they love me, or call me 'brother', or check up on me when I have those nightmares..._

Sans was full on sobbing now. He buried his head in Papyrus's pillow and cried into it.

 **"i'm sorry pappy! please come back! *sob* come back..."**

 _This room will remain empty forever._

 _I'll never be able to read him another bedtime story._

 _He'll never play with any of his action figures ever again, and his computer will be shut off forever._

 _Everything in this room will collect dust._

 **"i don't even know where his dust is..."**

 _What would I sprinkle it on if I found it?_

 _I'm not coming home to an empty house._

Sans wiped his tears away, despondent.

 _It should've been me. I'm a walking burden anyway. Can't even clean up after myself. Can't even feed my pet rock._

Sans got up and teleported back to the dump, where he left the body.

 _I can't bring Pap back, but I can preserve his memory. No one will EVER say he was a heartless murderer; not even of humans. I'll make sure of it._

Sans gathered the body into his arms.

 _I'll have a chat with Undyne. Tell her what happened to Pap. It's as much her fault as it is mine. If she doesn't feel bad, I'll MAKE her feel bad._

 _I'll kill her._

 _I'll kill us BOTH._

 _The world doesn't need a lying bully or a lazy clown..._

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

He continued walking carefully to the area with the yellow flowers. It would have been nice to have just teleported there, but he could only choose the area, not the exact place he appeared in.

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

 _Wait..._

 _Did she ARREST Papyrus? Is that why he doesn't have his phone? Did she take it?_

 **"You know walking weird is going to attract attention right? People come down here all the time to look for stuff, so they're used to hearing other people splashing around."**

Startled, Sans nearly dropped the little girl's body into the water. He looked around wildly for whomever the voice belonged to, and found no one. **"way to make a guy jump out of his skin buddy. where are you anyway?"** asked Sans nervously.

 **"Oh, I'm around. All you need to know is that I'm a friend of your brother's,** **and I don't want to see him arrested."**

 _Papyrus has another friend?_

 **"arrested for what? killing humans isn't illegal."**

 _He might have already BEEN arrested...god I hope that's the case..._

 **"Now, now, Papyrus isn't your font! You should be more honest with your brother's friends!"** exclaimed the voice.

 _My what?_

Sans stood there bewildered. Whoever Papyrus's friend was, they had completely lost him. He thought about asking what they meant, but before he could, the voice cleared it's throat.

 **"As Pappy's bestest and closest friend, it is my sworn duty to watch over and protect his friends and family; no matter how worthless or pathetic they are!"**

Sans frowned.

 _I don't like your friend, Pap._

 **"I have watched over you like a fat skeleton watches the Nice Cream Man! Guarding you like you would your fridge!"**

 **"you looking for a bad time?"** asked Sans, his eye glowing.

The voice ignored Sans' threat, intent on finishing it's speech. **"You may not realize it, but I've looked after you for years, watching you grow and learn and grow and joke and grow and grow and eat and grow..."**

 _I'm gonna kill your friend, Pap._

 **"I've even listened in on your phone calls,"** said the voice slyly.

Sans brow shot up. Which phone call did they mean? The one with Papyrus...or the one with Undyne?

 **"i don't re-** _ **call**_ **giving you permission to do that,"** said Sans smiling, although he was VERY worried on the inside.

 **"..."**

 **"and what's this about me not being honest? when have i ever seemed** _ **phone**_ **-y to you?"**

 _Yeah that's right._

 _I got jokes too._

 _Jokes for days._

 **"You must really like the sound of crickets."**

 **"whatever takes the focus off your voice,"** said Sans without missing a beat. He wanted to make whoever owned the voice angry, so they'd show themselves. It made him uncomfortable when he couldn't see who he was talking to. He only had one HP after all; he had to be careful. A surprise attack could be fatal, and this person definitely sounded like someone who liked attacking people in the dark.

 **"Either your font doesn't work on flowers, or it doesn't work at all. I really can't tell actually. Only one of your eyes lit up."**

 _There's that word again._

 **"look pal, i don't know what you're talking about. what's a font? are you talkin' writing or...?"**

 **"You don't know what a font is? Ohhhh that's too bad... Wish I could tell ya', but it's a loooong explanation. Pappy always says 'focus on your job'; and my job right now is to tell you to** **back off."**

 **"back off?"**

 **"That's right.** **Back off.** **Don't you say a word to anyone about Papyrus being the Resort Killer, not even to Papyrus himself.** **I'd hate to have to pay you a visit..."**

 _Holy shit._

 _Undyne was right._

 _It's not just humans he's killing, it's monsters too._

Sans' vision became blurry, he felt like he was going to collapse at any moment. All the strength seemed to leave him, and although he didn't drop the girl, he could no longer feel his arms or legs. He felt separated from his body, like he was trapped in a great big fever dream he couldn't wake up from.

 _Papyrus is the serial killer. My little bro's insane..._

 **"What's wrong Smiley Trashbag? You look sick! I hope you didn't catch anything from that bloated** **corpse** **you're carrying..."** The voice's laughter, shrill and cruel, brought Sans back to reality.

 **"your concern is noted and appreciated,"** he said curtly.

 _What do I do?_

 **"how can i help papyrus?"** Sans asked himself.

 **"Golly! I hope you're not planning on running your mouth Smiley Trashbag...** **if anything happened to you, Pappy would be devastated!"**

 _I'm more worried about what Papyrus will do to me. He wouldn't hurt me if he found out I knew, would he...?_

 **"ugh."** Sans head hurt. Too much drama in one day could really take it out of a guy. He didn't want to deal with all this. There were too many questions, and so few answers. He felt like he needed a pen and paper just to remember them all.

But losing his brother would be so much worse.

He had already gone through a simulation, he didn't need it to become a reality. This was his last chance to actually help Papyrus and keep his title of 'Big Brother'.

 _Okay, what do I know for sure so far?_

 _Undyne accused Pap of being the Resort Killer._

 _Pap's been killing humans._

 _Pap's hasn't been answering his phone._

 _Some jackass claiming to be a friend of Papyrus's threatened me because they thought I would say something to...wait._

 _If this guy listened in on my convo with Undyne then he knows Papyrus has already most likely been arrested or is going to be BY Undyne._

 _So why threaten me?_

 _He'd have to threaten Undyne to keep Pap out of prison, and that would make it pointless for me to tell her anything. Even if I told the king, I have no proof of anything._

 _So why?_

 _..._

 **"Gosh, you look really frustrated! Do you need some help carrying that?"**

 _He didn't want me telling Papyrus either._

 _Does he need me for something?_

 _If I tell Pap what I know and he kills me, this guy can't use me..._

 _..._

 _GRAH I NEED MORE ANSWERS!_

Sans smiled as if he weren't having a mental breakdown. **"thanks for throwing me a bone. i'll lift the feet and you lift the head, okay?"**

The waterfall made it impossible for him to locate the source of the voice, but if he asked for help he wouldn't need to.

 _Please work..._

 **"Why should I?** **Papyrus should be here any minute now. HA HA HA HA HA!"**

 _Papyrus?!_

Sans ran over to the only two piles of garbage near the waterfall and proceeded to lay his blackened burden down amongst the empty cans and boxes.

 **"Silly billy, that's not where that goes! Wait for Papyrus, he'll show you how hiding a body is done."**

More laughter.

 _Should I stay, or hide?_

 **"Welp, gotta run! I need to check on Chara because I'm a GOOD big brother. See ya'!"**

 **"wait, stop!"**

 _Is Papyrus really coming?_

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

Someone was, and fast too.

The small skeleton quickly placed an empty box over the dead child and slipped between the middle of the trash mounds.

 _Please don't find me..._

Suddenly, a small human wearing a strange hat ran past, shooting a gun wildly.

 **"Nyeh heh heh! Whatever are you aiming at human?"**

 _Pap!_

 **"Leave me alone, freak!"** yelled the child, still shooting.

The kid sounded like he might be male, though they weren't wearing a striped shirt.

It was actually pretty hard to tell what they were wearing, because they was covered head to toe in dirt. It really looked like they hadn't bathed in a long time.

Sans couldn't recall reading in the paper about a human running around.

 _Must have been hiding out down here._

As the battle continued, he quickly searched the trash piles he was hiding behind for a piece of mirror. The piles were huge and there were two of them, there had to be at least ONE shard in there...

 _Bingo._

Sans hit the jackpot and found a mirror shard as big and wide as his own palm. With this, he could watch the battle without leaning out of his hiding place.

Wiping the grim off the shard, Sans tilted in until he was able to at least see the kid.

The battle was not going well for them.

Their face was a mask of terror and panic as they began to back away from Papyrus.

 _He knows it's a dead end._

 **"What's the matter, human? You look upset!"**

 **"STAY BACK!"** The child fired his gun wildly, but their shots missed Papyrus by a mile.

 _This kid's aim is shit..._

Papyrus closed the gap between them fairly quickly, almost skipping his way towards the child. He didn't seem perturbed at all by the bullets whizzing by his skull. **"Golly! You're absolutely filthy child! You know what you need? A bath."**

 **"LET GO OF ME!"** screamed the child as Papyrus lifted them into the air by their neck. They continued screaming as Papyrus scanned the area for a place with deeper water, kicking at the skeleton's ribs. Unfortunately for them, Papyrus's arms were a lot longer than their legs, and they couldn't land a single blow.

 **"Drat! Can't find a good place to drown you anywhere!"** complained Papyrus with a hand on his hip, **"You'd think since the whole area is flooded, there'd be SOME kind of deep end; but I guess not."** He sighed deeply as if he were truly upset and shook his head in mock disappointment; or at least it LOOKED like he was being sarcastic.

 _Use the gun, kid! You have a gun!_

 **"You wanna go for a little walk? Maybe there's a deep end in the next area."**

The child continued screaming, completely ignoring Papyrus, and began hitting his arm repeatedly with their gun, trying to get free.

 **"Hey! Stop that at once! If you don't behave I WILL take your toys away,"** said Papyrus looking angry. Sans couldn't tell what was sarcasm and what was real anymore. He didn't even know who he was suppose to be rooting for at this point. He loved his brother, but right now he was being an asshat.

 _Shoot his arm or something!_

The human was wailing at this point. They had stopped hitting Papyrus and simply hung in the air crying, clutching the hand that held their neck. **"Uahaaawaaaahhh!"**

 **"Ugh. Enough..."** said Papyrus, holding the child as far away from him as possible. He put a hand to his head where his ear would've been in irritation.

 **"Somethin' wrong bonehead?"**

Sans almost dropped the mirror shard in surprise as a familiar voice called out to his brother.

 _Is that person still here?!_

Sans tilted the mirror shard this way and that, but saw no one. Whoever this was had to of been really small, or in the same hiding place as before.

 **"The child shrieks like a fruit bat!"** complained Papyrus.

 **"Waaaaauuuuuhhhh!"**

 **"Sounds like they need a hug! Give em' a hug Pappy!"** said the voice. Sans tried to remember if he knew anyone that sounded that shrill and obnoxious, but came up with nothing.

Papyrus looked at the little human. **"Is that what you need human? Do you need a hug from the Great Papyrus?"** He still held the human out in front of him, but this time under the arms. His insane smile reminded Sans of a strange comic he had found at the dump once. There was a panel where a guy in a black striped shirt was holding out a stuffed bear like Papyrus was holding out the kid and he was talking to the bear with that same twisted grin.

 _What was that comic called?_

 _...Johnny The Homicidal Maniac?_

A shrill screech reverberated loudly throughout the dump as Papyrus squeezed the small kid in his arms. Sans winced as the noise rang in his skull deafeningly.

 **"What is wrong with you human? I'm being nice! Why are you so afraid?"**

 _Yeah, really ki-_

 _Oh..._

The kid, thrashing their legs, continued screaming as blood began to flow from their mouth.

They weren't just afraid.

They were being crushed.

 **"I don't think this is working. What am I doing wrong, I wonder?"**

Sans cringed, swearing he had heard a few bones break.

 **"Maybe they aren't a huggy person...?"**

 **"Nonsense! Everyone loves hugs! Isn't that right Human?"**

 _This isn't my brother..._

 **"Oh I know! Their upset because they don't want to get in trouble! Children aren't suppose to accept hugs from strangers."**

 _This CAN'T be my brother!_

 **"Are you sure?"**

 **"There you go doubting me again...it really hurts my feelings you know,"** said the voice sounding sad.

 **"What if I don't tell anybody? Then can I hug you Human?"**

The human didn't respond. Their struggles had ceased.

 _Are they...dead?_

 **"No means no Pappy. Don't be such a perv..."**

 **"I'm not a perv! I'm just friendly!"** Exclaimed Papyrus as if he'd been insulted.

 **"You're a creeper."** teased the voice.

 **"I most certainly am not!"**

 **"Creeeeeepppeeerrrrrrr..."**

 **"How dare you..."** said Papyrus giggling.

The comedian was stunned. The voice and his brother reminded Sans of his drinking buddies down at Grillby's. They laughed like great friends; sharing jokes and having a good time.

 _They ARE sharing jokes and having a good time..._

Papyrus dropped the child, and they scrambled away as quickly as they could, coughing up blood and wiping away tears.

 _Run kid, run away! Run like the wind!_

The child ran, but in their panic, they went the wrong way.

Right back to the dead end near the yellow flowers.

 _You gotta be kidding me!_

They struggled to move a broken arm and succeeded in taking out...something. Sans was close to the kid, but he still couldn't tell what they were holding. Whatever it was, they definitely found it at the dump.

They popped the possible food item into their mouth and began to chew. They obviously didn't like it, no surprise there, but it put their HP back at a reasonable level.

 **"Heh hey Human! You're looking better!"** said Papyrus with a grin.

 **"Yaaaayyy!"**

 **"SHUT UP!"**

The sound of gloves clapping together was just loud enough for Sans to hear over the crashing waterfall. He noticed no one else was clapping.

 _Does Pap's friend not have arms or hands, or are they just not making enough noise? Maybe Papyrus is friends with a ghost like Napstablook._

 **"I'll kill you! I'll kill you both!"** screamed the child madly.

Sans highly doubted they'd put up much of a fight at this point. Food didn't fix broken bones...at least he didn't think so. Squinting at the kid's arms, he could see that they were, in fact, still broken. Their ribs were probably a mess too.

How were they still standing?

 _Is the power of Determination that strong...?_

 **"Ugly Decor!"**

 **"What did you just call me?"**

The small skeleton raised a brow.

Papyrus's tone had changed.

The mirth in his brother's voice was still there, but something else had been added in. He couldn't quite place what it was, but it made him feel like a storm was coming. Again, he was reminded of that guy in that comic book. Sans didn't know what Decor meant, nor had he heard it before, but it must have been really bad; probably a swear. He wouldn't be too surprised at this point if his brother knew a few curse words, but he _was_ surprised that he knew one Sans didn't.

 _Probably the voice's fault. They're just like Papyrus. I bet they're responsible for him acting this way._

 **"What's a Decor?"**

 _Or not._

Sans couldn't see his brother's face even with the mirror, but he could feel his anger; almost taste it. The atmosphere had completely changed, and tension filled the air and area around them. One could almost forget there was a waterfall nearby, it was so distracting and uncomfortable.

He shifted his feet nervously waiting and wanting for SOMEONE to speak. Even the child was quiet. They had the look of a kid that knew they had effed up; like they had called their mother a cunt in front of everyone at a family reunion.

 **"Decor, my friend, is a derogatory term for Skeletons; and if you ever use it, I will snap your neck without hesitation."**

Sans shuddered. He could feel Papyrus's anger, but his voice did NOT match his mood. He still sounded _cheery..._

 **"...what does it mean though? I don't get how it's bad..."**

The voice's tone had changed too. They sounded meek and frightened. Clearly Papyrus was the strongest of the two, and in charge of whatever relationship they had.

 **"Humans, during a holiday called 'Halloween', dress up as monsters to scare each other and collect candy from houses-"**

 **"Like Spooky Day? Where monsters dress up like witches, zombies, vampires, and werewolves, etc?"**

 **"Yes, and they dress up their houses with decorations such as ghosts and for some reason naked skeletons."**

Sans smiled, amused with the similarities between the holidays monsters and humans had despite the situation he was in. He often collected books and movies from the dump and studied them to better prepare himself and his brother for the surface. Many holidays and traditions were similar to theirs. Despite the differences between Humans and Monsters ability and appearance wise; they were basically the same; intelligent creatures that just wanted a place in the world.

 **"Why is calling you a naked skeleton bad?"**

 **"Because it's insinuating that Skeletons are stupid wild animals with no decency, who only desire to scare people and don't deserve the same rights humans and monsters have."**

 _Skeletons aren't monsters?_

 **"Umm..."**

Sans struggled not to laugh at the inappropriate joke the voice had made.

 _He's an ass, but he is brave I'll give em' that much._

 **"You've something to say?"** Papyrus's full cheerful demeanor was back, whatever had been added to his tone before was gone. It seemed whoever owned the voice had a knack for cheering Papyrus up. It was sad however, that his brother didn't share the same sense of humor Sans did. He really couldn't see himself making a really mean joke like that about such a sensitive topic, or any mean joke in general. His puns annoyed people enough; he didn't need to get punched in the face.

 **"Not a thing."**

 **"You wouldn't lie to me, would ya'?"**

It was getting harder not to laugh.

 **"I gotta go..."**

Sans laughed.

Luckily for him it had built up and turned into silent laughter. It hurt like hell, but it was more preferable than being caught.

 **"I actually do have to go. I need to check up on the Human."**

 **"Check up? Why?"**

The comedian may not have liked making mean jokes, but listening to other people make them, and seeing things go well, made him happy. People could sometimes be oversensitive about comedy; he was glad Papyrus wasn't like that.

 **"Mind your business Bonebag!"**

He was happy to hear him making jokes period. Every once in awhile he would make a pun and play along with Sans, but it wasn't the same as this.

His brother sounded genuinely happy for once.

 **"Nyeh heh heh heh!"**

He wished he could see him smile.

He wished he could _make_ him smile.

Make him laugh like his friend did...

 _I'm bumming myself out..._

 **"Must be rather important for you to give up the chance to gain a soul. *gasp!* Is this love Flowey? Did you find a sweetheart?!"**

 _Flowey...?_

 **"Ewww! No!"**

 **"You can tell me, Flowey. Does he call you Buttercup?"**

 _He's a flower!_

 **"He's my brother! Or...sister. I didn't ask their gender..."**

 **"Love is blind anyway. I'm so happy for you!"**

 **"IT'S NOT LOVE YOU IDIOT!"**

Sans glanced at the patch of yellow flowers. He couldn't tell from where he was, but he was sure "Flowey" had to be there.

 **"If it's not love, that means you're still available, yes?*audible wink*"**

 _And when I catch him, he's gonna tell me everything he knows about all this crap._

 **"I WILL CARVE YOU LIKE A PUMPKIN PAPYRUS!"**

Papyrus was in full view now, staring into the flower patch. He seemed to have either forgotten about the kid with the gun, or decided to catch him later. They stood near the waterfall watching the two and listening to Papyrus tease Flowey.

 _Kid's an idiot. How the hell did they survive down here for ANY period of time?_

 **"How about some introductions then?"**

 **"Introductions?"**

 **"Yeah, I'm lonely."**

 **"pffft!"**

 **"I'm not hooking you up with my sibling! You're** **DISGUSTING!"**

 _Come on bro, stop..._

 **"Am I not good enough for your brother? Who, pray tell, is more amazing than the Great Papyrus?"**

 **"CHARA'S A CHILD!"**

...

...

 **"...I can make him into a man."**

 **"I'm outta here!"**

 **"Awww! Don't go! Floooowweeeyyy!"**

Papyrus held his arm out dramatically, falling to his knees and reaching out to his friend.

 **"See ya' later Sans!"**

 **"What?!"**

 _Fucker!_

Sans kept his eyes locked on his brother, ready to teleport if necessary.

 **"Sans is here?!"**

There was no answer.

Flowey was apparently really gone this time.

Turning around sheepishly, Papyrus looked right at the two trash mounds, his face a light orange.

 _Of course he'd look here. There's no other place I could hide._

 **"Saaans?"** Papyrus called out to him sounding embarrassed, **"Brother, a-are you really there?"** He almost looked scared to Sans. Like he didn't really want him to come out or say anything. He kept his hands up to his chest, intertwining his fingers as if he were pleading. His index fingers tapped together nervously.

He didn't make a move towards the trash piles.

 _He IS scared. What for though? What the hell does he think I'M gonna do? I can't do shit..._

 **"Decor's not a bad word,"** said the kid out of nowhere. Sans wasn't sure if they were being brave or just stupid. They looked at Papyrus blankly.

 _Did they seriously stay JUST to continue that argument?!_

 **"It's insulting to Normal Fonts because they don't enjoy scaring people, and it's insulting to Horror Fonts because the decorations are not scary in the slightest, insinuating that we're useless and have no business living with humans side-by-side."**

Sans let out a breath he was unaware he had been holding. Papyrus had no intention of confronting him. He looked as relieved as Sans felt and was probably just as thankful that the kid had spoken up.

 **"It's not a bad word if it's true,"** said the child stubbornly.

 _Welp, there goes the last of the sympathy I had for this kid._

 _I still don't know what this font stuff is all about, but it sounds like Decor's a REALLY bad word._

 **"You realize these are your last words? Perhaps you should choose the next ones more carefully..."** suggested Papyrus, crossing his arms.

 _How does Papyrus even know these things? Even if he's gotten into my books, I've never read anything about prejudice against skeletons..._

 **"Your whole species is trash and I'm glad you got purged,"** sneered the human sticking out their tongue.

 **"Cheeky."** said Papyrus laughing.

 _What a brat..._

 **"You're all freaks! Every Font is a fucking freak!"**

 **"Whoa...language child."**

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

The human kicked the water at Papyrus in an attempt to splash him.

 _This kid needs a time out._

 **"I hate you! I hate your whole FAMILY! I hate your big STUPID outfit!"**

 **"Wh-wha?"**

Papyrus looked like he was about to cry.

 **"My brother helped me make this..."**

 **"It's ugly! Your scarf is ugly! Your outfit is STUPID! Your boots are stupid!"** yelled the human splashing more water.

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

 **"FUCK YOU, HUMAN! I LOOK COOL! MY BIG BROTHER SAID SO!"** screamed Papyrus, startling Sans.

 _Where did that come from?!_

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

Papyrus kicked water back at the child.

 **"YOUR BIG BROTHER IS STUPID! AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CURSE!"** screamed the kid, red in the face.

 _Hey..._

 **"I'M AN** _ **ADULT!**_ **I CAN DO WHATEVER THE** _ **HELL**_ **I WANT TO!"** screamed Papyrus just as loudly.

 **"FUCKER!"**

 **"BRAT!"**

 **"I'M NOT A BRAT!"**

 **"YOU'RE A BRAT!"**

 _ **"DON'T CALL ME A BRAT!"**_ shrieked the child.

 _ **"YOU'RE A BRAT! BRAT! BRAT!"**_ screamed Papyrus, stomping his foot with every 'brat'.

 **"SHUT UP!"**

 **"YOU SHUT UP!"**

 **"NO, YOU SHUT UP!"**

 **"** _ **YOU SHUT UP HUMAN!"**_

 **"HEY!"**

Sans struggled to keep from laughing as a bone attack knocked the kid's hat from off their head.

 _Nice shot bro._

 **"Oh dear, please do forgive me little human. I WAS AIMING FOR YOUR BIG STUPID HEAD!"**

 **"I** _ **HATE**_ **YOOOOUU!"**

The now hatless human had lost all sense of fear and apparently reason, for they had taken out a Sea Tea and was now gulping it down like a water elemental at a frat party.

 _They're not seriously going to try to CHARGE Papyrus are they?_

The tea increased the kid's speed exponentially, and with a fierce shriek, they charged at the angry skeleton.

 **"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"**

Throwing their gun at Papyrus's face, they leaped at him...

right into the jaws of a Gaster Blaster.

 _BLOOSH!_

This kid didn't have enough HP to survive the blast like the girl did. They fell dead on the spot, smoking like a camp fire.

" **The Great Papyrus awards you with an A for effort...even though effort starts with an E! Nyeh heh heh!"**

 _Oh my god._

Papyrus clapped his hands merrily, jumping up and down in the water.

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

 _SPLASH!_

Sans watched as a tiny yellow soul floated up from his remains and Papyrus skipped over to collect it.

 _Freakin' lunatic, man..._

Papyrus pick up the charred body by the neck and dragged it to the waterfall. Sans watched intently as his brother pressed down on a rock that was sticking out, activating some kind of mechanism that ultimately revealed an opening.

 _He and his puzzles._

Papyrus tossed the dead child like it was any other piece of garbage into the opening, and humming Bonetrousle, he closed it off and began to leave.

Sans waited until all the splashing stopped to finally step out from between the two trash mounds.

Gathering up the little girl in his arms, he walked towards the waterfall and, after setting her down again, pressed the rock jetting out...or at least he tried to. The rock appeared to be stuck...that or he just didn't have the strength to press it. Using both hands, he pushed at the rock using all of his body weight, his eyes closed tight in concentration, until he finally gave up and hung there exhausted.

They shot open in terror when he felt a gloved hand over both his own press down hard on the rock that had bested him.

 **"In need of assistance Brother?"**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

 **Sugar Whore**

* * *

 _OH MY GOD CHARA, STOP FARMING FOR GOLD!_

Flowey watched the little human in blue pick on Loox before killing it, his right eye twitching.

After they killed Loox and gained the gold from him, they quickly left the room and reentered it.

This had been going on for hours.

At first, things had been going great. The human would kill everything in their path and continue on to the next room without stopping.

But then they found the Bake Sale.

That motherfucking Bake Sale.

Flowey had forgotten how much Chara liked sweets, although watching them take all the monster candy they could at blinding speed, should have reminded him.

He wished he could just pop up and tell Chara to stop screwing around, but he didn't exactly make a good first impression.

 _FLOOSH!_

Another one bit the dust...not that it mattered. The monsters SOMEHOW re-spawned whenever his sibling left a room without killing everyone, and reentered it.

Unless the Bake Sale raised their prices, or ran out of doughnuts, they were doomed. Chara's stomach was like a black hole.

 _FLOOSH!_

What was worse was Chara didn't get any extra EXP from killing the same monsters over and over.

 _KNOCK IT OFF CHARA!_

 _FLOOSH!_

Another down.

 _Where is Toriel?!_

 _FLOOSH!_

 _This is BULLSHIT!_

 _FLOOSH!_

Flowey put his head in his leaves and shook his head.

At least they weren't resetting.

 _MUNCH MUNCH!_

 _Yeah...you go ahead and stuff your face, you disgusting PIG!_

 _GULP GULP!_

There goes the last of the Spider Cider.

Number what? Forty-eight?

 _I hope you get diabetes._

 _FLOOSH!_

 _I hope your arms turn blue and FALL OFF!_

The little human exited the room and headed off again to the Bake Sale to get more Spider Cider.

Flowey just exited the room.

Chara was obviously going to be here awhile.

 _THIS is why I gave up that soul. Someone needs to keep this brat on the straight and narrow..._

His plan was to get the Bake Sale spiders to close shop earlier in exchange for some candy, but he didn't know if Chara had already eaten it all.

 _They probably did. Why else would they hit the Bake Sale?_

Reaching the candy room Flowey shook his head. Chara had spilt the bowl all over the ground.

 _I bet they ate up all the candy that wasn't dirty too._

Yep.

 _Thought so._

Flowey gathered up all the candy he could in his leaves, that being five pieces, and headed back to the Bake Sale. Perhaps the spider wouldn't be picky...

 _FLOOSH!_

The flower glared at Chara as they killed another monster, completely ignoring him.

 _You know what's weird is they always kill the same number of monsters before they go back to buy more stuff. It's like Chara knows how much money each monster drops by heart..._

 _But the brat I know has never harmed a single monster._

 _FLOOSH!_

 _How do EITHER of them know how much a dead monster is worth by heart? I know this is Chara, I can feel it, but they shouldn't know those things even if they WERE just a spirit floating around!_

Flowey reached the Bake Sale at last holding the candy.

 **"Hey, idiots. Down here."**

He waited for the spider to slowly come down using their web.

 **"Golly, you guys must be awful hungry huh? Giving out all these tasty treats over and over, but not being able to have any yourself..."**

The spiders said nothing.

 **"I betcha' by now you're willing to eat anything huh? Do you like Monster Candy?"**

Again, the spiders said nothing.

 **"I'll make you a deal, close down your shop for the day, and I'll give you all of these! Ooooooohh!"** Flowey held out the dirty dust-covered candy.

The spiders crawled back up their web.

 **"AWW COME ON!"**

They didn't come back down.

 **"YOU GREEDY LITTLE BASTARDS! CAN YOU SERIOUSLY NOT CLOSE DOWN YOUR SHOP FOR A DAY?!"**

There was no movement in the web.

 _Fine. If I can't bribe them, I'll crush em'._

 **"OKAY FINE, CAN I GET A SPIDER DOUGHNUT PLEASE?"**

There was still no movement in the web.

 **"AAAUUUGHHH!"** yelled Flowey, covering his face with his leaves.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

 **A Brother's Bond**

* * *

Sans froze in fear, as his brother removed his hand from his and picked up the charred remains of the little girl.

 _What the hell do I do?! What do I say?!_

 **"GREAT JOB KILLING THE HUMAN SANS! OR WAS IT SOMEONE ELSE?"**

 _Is he seriously trying to pretend I wasn't at the dump while he was there? Is he trying to fool me into believing he didn't know?_

 _Does he think I'm stupid?_

 _Whatever._

Sans took a deep breath in order to compose himself and ended up gagging again.

How many times was he going to do that today?

 **"sup' bro? watcha doin' in a dump like this?"**

Papyrus ignored the pun and carried the girl into the cave.

 **"it might have been grillby or some other fire elemental. i don't know."**

He stuck his hands in his pockets and followed Papyrus through the opening.

 **"YOU DON'T KNOW HUH? FORGIVE ME, BUT I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE."**

Sans didn't hear him.

He was too busy staring at the three human bodies laying in a pile.

One was a small girl with long blonde hair tied in ribbons. Her skull had been smashed in. Her powder blue dress was splashed with blood, but other than that, it looked like she was simply asleep.

 _How recent was this?_

Another was wearing a dark red tank top with jeans. There was a giant hole in their abdomen and the top of their skull looked like it had been carefully cut off, so as to not damage...something.

Papyrus noticed Sans staring at them.

 **"THAT ONE WAS KILLING MONSTERS WHILE THEY SLEPT IN SNOWDIN. I STILL NEED TO SELL THEIR GLOVE, BUT I DON'T KNOW** _ **HOW**_ **I'M GOING TO GET RID OF THE BANDANA. I SWEAR, IT'S THE MOST HIDEOUS THING..."**

A morbid sense of curiosity grabbed hold of Sans. He wanted to fully check out the body, but his morals stopped him from simply walking up and poking around. He couldn't help standing on his toes in order to get a look into the kid's head though.

 _Just a peek wouldn't hurt..._

Unfortunately, he was too short to see anything from as far away as he was.

Sans sighed in disappointment and forced himself to look at his brother instead.

 **"counting the one you just collected, we have six souls. did you only kill five humans?"**

He didn't really care how many humans his brother killed, but he did NOT want to talk about just happened outside the cave.

Not yet at least.

He still wasn't sure if Papyrus had been playing with the kid he'd just fried, or if he had been legitimately angry. One moment he was a sarcastic sadist, and the next he was a kid throwing a tantrum, and then he started doing that Great Papyrus thing...

The term split-personality disorder flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. He had known his brother for at least nineteen years, and a disorder like that would be hard to control. SOMEBODY would have told Sans if his brother was acting out of the ordinary, and no one had said anything ever.

 _He knew I was hiding. He knew I was watching him. I bet he acted crazy on purpose so I wouldn't know what to say and stay quiet._

 _That's...actually pretty clever._

Papyrus continued to count on his fingers, stopping every so often to restart. He looked genuinely confused.

 _He's trying to find the right words too._

 _He's stalling for time._

 _If he wants me to stay quiet, that means he cares about our relationship right? He doesn't want either of us to say anything that'll destroy it._

 **"Grrr..."**

 **"need some help bro?"**

 **"I GOT THIS."** said Papyrus confidently.

 **"okay good, i'm** _ **counting**_ **on you."** said Sans grinning. He was honestly really impressed with Papyrus's acting skills. It was actually pretty intimidating. Sans had heard that murderers were huge experts at manipulation. The fact that he really didn't know what to say, meant Papyrus had already got him once; and if the Great Papyrus was just a character he made up, it meant he had fooled Sans for _years_...

It was true that he was now on to his brother, but his brother KNEW that, so...what advantage did Sans really have?

 _Maybe I could copy him...?_

 _God I hate mind games._

 **"GRAH!"**

 **"just let me help you papyrus."**

 **"I'M CURIOUS AS TO HOW YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HELP ME. DO** _ **YOU**_ **KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE I'VE KILLED?"**

 _People?_

 _Is he trying to subtly remind me that he's the Resort Killer?_

 _Is he trying to scare me?_

 _Psh._

 **"no bro, how many people have you killed? monsters excluded of course."**

 **"WHA-WHAT DID YOU SAY?"**

 _I said I ain't Flowey pally. You don't scare me._

 **"humans pap. how many humans have you killed?"**

Papyrus looked at him bewildered.

 **"O-OH...HOLD ON."**

 _Heh ha! Threw him off!_

 _Take that._

Finally, Papyrus stopped, a look of triumph on his face.

 **"I 'VE KILLED FOUR, BUT THE ONE OVER THERE I FOUND IN THE RUINS. I WASN'T ABLE TO COLLECT THEIR SOUL IN TIME UNFORTUNATELY."**

Papyrus pointed to a human that looked like a baby.

It was barely recognizable.

The eyes and most of the skin had long since rotted away. Aside from the little tuffs of brown hair, the human was basically a skeleton at this point.

Their clothes however, were almost spotless.

They wore a pair of light blue overalls and a red shirt underneath. Their socks were also white and frilly, their black dress shoes were scuffed.

 **"POOR DEAR MUST HAVE DONE POORLY ON THAT PITFALL PUZZLE AND BROKEN THEIR NECK FROM THE FALL. NOT VERY FAIR IF YOU ASK ME. IT'S ALMOST PITCH BLACK IN THE RUINS."**

Sans couldn't take his eyes off the baby. There WERE skeletons in those humans. Now he REALLY wanted to check them out.

 **"AND BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING, I DID NOT FAIL THE PUZZLE. I SIMPLY WENT DOWN THE PITS ON PURPOSE TO SEE WHAT WAS THERE!"**

Papyrus noticed Sans wasn't paying attention and frowned, however, he slowly began to smile when he realized what the problem was.

 _He's curious..._

 **"WOULD YOU LIKE TO INSPECT THEM BROTHER? YOU LIKE SCI-FI YES? SCI-FI IS SCIENCE AND SO IS ANATOMY, THEREFORE YOU MUST LIKE ANATOMY!"** exclaimed Papyrus proudly.

Sans smiled at him, secretly thankful.

 _That's not how that works, but you already know that, don't you bro?_

He turned to the corpse with the half-skull and walked towards it shyly.

There was no justifying this. He was being a straight-up gross person, poking around the kid's body like he was, but having his brother watch him gave him a sick feeling of excitement that made him feel guilty and somehow joyous all at once.

 _I either have a skele-TON of issues, or I've missed hanging out with Pap more than I thought._

Peeking into the human's skull, he was disappointed to find it was empty, save for a few strings.

 _Strings...?_

Anatomy may have been a type of science, but it was not his area of expertise.

Papyrus watched his smaller brother like a parent on a playground. It was cute to see him look around and learn. He was surprised though, when he saw Sans actually reach inside the head.

He was even more surprised when the body's eyes flew open.

 **"Oh dear..."**

 **"you say something pap?"**

 **"NOT A THING."**

Papyrus knew for a fact the human was dead. Whatever Sans was grabbing onto was probably reacting to his magic.

 _Hmmm, I wonder...this ought to be funny._

Careful not to draw attention to himself, he bent down and grabbed the human he had just blasted.

 **"hey papyrus, did you remove whatever was in here? it looks like something should be here."**

 **"UHH, YEAH. I LEFT IT SOMEWHERE NEAR THE FIRST SENTRY STATION BY THE RUINS."**

 _By my sentry station? Wow. If this kid had showed up while I was napping, I'd of been screwed._

Sans kneeled down to check out the hole next.

As expected, it had been completely hollowed out. Only the bones remained inside. He had hoped to see what his own bones would've protected had he been human, but apparently that wasn't in the cards.

 _Heh, maybe I'll get lucky and Pap will have them jarred and stashed in his room somewhere..._

 _That's not funny._

 _Would he though?_

Sans glanced toward his brother, only to find him carefully removing the top part of the brat's skull.

 **"uhhh..."**

 _Whaat the fuuuuhhh..._

Papyrus didn't respond. He seemed completely absorbed in his work.

Blood coated his gloves and dripped from them like syrup. Every once in awhile he would wipe them off on his scarf, or make a fist to wring them out.

 _I guess that's why he doesn't mind doing the laundry every time. Did he choose red for his costume on purpose?_

Sans sat down across from Papyrus cross-legged and squinted in order to see what tool he was using. It was glowing orange, so it had to be a bone, but was a bone sharp enough to cut through a skull? It was so small too...

Papyrus put the instrument down, and began to remove his scarf. The blood was making it hard to see how deep he was cutting. Whatever was in the human's head, he wanted in top condition. He didn't want to risk damaging it.

 _The hell's he doing?_

Sans decided to wait and see. He didn't want to break his brother's concentration. Leaning over, he reached and tried to grab the bone Papyrus was using, rolling it towards himself with his fingers until he was able to grasp it. Papyrus glanced in his direction, but didn't say anything. He continued patting down the skull with his scarf while Sans examined the tool he had been using.

It definitely was a bone, that much was certain, but it had been hallowed out and shaped like a pen. There were holes on each end of the bone, one being bigger than the other. Putting the end with the bigger hole to his mouth, Sans blew.

 **"(Snrk!)"**

He looked up from the bone to see Papyrus grinning at him.

 _Whatever._

Turning the bone over in his hands, he placed his finger over the larger hole and sent his magic through it.

 **"Careful."**

Sans stopped when his blue magic shot out of the other end of the bone, and focused it in order to keep the blue tip at a reasonable length.

 _Looks sharp._

Tossing a rock in the air, he slashed at it, cutting it in two as if it were made of smoke.

 **"damn!"**

 **"Nyeh ha ha ha ha ha ha!"**

Sans gave the bone back.

Picking it up, Papyrus renewed his cutting. He sent his orange magic through the bone, focused it, and carefully traced the first cut he had made all the way around the skull.

 **"i see, you're using the bone as a precision laser. pretty smart bro."**

Papyrus winked at him and continued.

It was cool to watch his younger brother work quickly and with pinpoint accuracy. His hand-eye coordination and dexterity were incredible. He reminded Sans of an actual surgeon at work.

 _No, no this isn't surgery. This is an autopsy. This is a kid killing an animal and playing with its insides for fun._

However, it didn't feel that way, and deep down Sans knew that wasn't fair. He had no idea why Papyrus was killing monsters, but it was wrong to assume his brother was twisted without even giving him a chance to explain himself.

Strangely enough though, that's exactly what he wanted to believe.

He wanted to believe his brother was a dangerous serial killer, a psychopathic freak with his own secret agenda. He wanted to believe he was a manipulative liar, an evil genius, a _threat._

Anything but the Great Papyrus.

 **"Are you alright brother?"** asked Papyrus, concerned. Sans' breathing had changed. The smell in the cave was overpowering, but he was breathing like he had run a marathon.

 _What is this? He was fine a couple seconds ago..._

 **"Sans...? SANS! Are you okay?"**

 _No._

 **"yes."**

 **"I see."**

Papyrus stopped his cutting and crawled over to Sans. Lifting him up from under his arms, he placed his smaller brother in his lap and hugged him around the middle, closing his eyes.

This was new.

Everything was new today.

 **"You know I love you, correct? If you have a problem, you can come to me. I'll solve whatever or whoever it is."**

 _Whoever? He's not even trying to hide it anymore is he? Heh..._

 **"i think that's suppose to be my line bro."**

 **"I may be younger than you, but I AM stronger. I should be watching over you, protecting you-"**

 _I can't handle this._

 _Not this._

 _This isn't fair._

 _Who does he think he is pretending to be a good person when he KNOWS I know he's an asshole?!_

 _Does he WANT to upset me?!_

 _FINE._

 _WISH GRANTED._

 _I'm gonna yell at you Pap._

 _I'm gonna LOSE it._

 **"where the fuck is all of this coming from papyrus?! yesterday you were filling our fridge with inedible garbage and listening to me read you shitty baby books, and now you're sawing people's heads off and talkin' to me like you're some kind of adult!"**

 _I'm gonna die._

Papyrus paused for a bit, taken aback by his brother's sudden and uncharacteristic outburst. He usually wasn't one for profanity. **"That was...sudden."**

 **"and you're doing that too! why are you doing that? why are you talking like that? you're supposed to be loud a-and angry an-and and...an-and...and"**

Sans broke down.

 **"everything's changing...why is it changing?"**

To Sans, his little brother had always been a kid in his eyes. He had always been HIS kid. He had watched Papyrus try for hours to set up puzzles, only to get himself zapped by magic or electricity over and over again until Sans stepped in to set them up himself. He had read to Papyrus every night, from the day he left the lab, baby picture books, and watched Papyrus sit on Santa's knee and tell him he wanted more action figures every. single. year. He had listened to him yell at him when things didn't go his way, and boss him around whenever he wanted something. He had constantly encouraged him and his ideas, no matter how stupid they were. Told him he was cool...that his meals were getting better...but now...

 **"you're so different pappy. where'd my little brother go?** _ **why don't i want him back?"**_

 _Pappy? Hadn't been called that in a loong time._

 **"i've known him for so long, but i like** _ **you**_ **even more. even though we just met and i know almost nothing about you.** _ **you,**_ **a freakin' sociopath, a** _ **murderer,**_ **uh uhh a** _ **human!**_ **your little** _ **friend**_ **fucked up papyrus. he said he didn't want you to get** _ **arrested**_ **. you don't get** _ **arrested**_ **for killing humans** _ **bro,"**_ sneered Sans.

 _Why am I saying these things?! I was just upset about losing him this morning, and now I'm pulling this crap?!_

 **"Dem mood swings doh..."**

 _I'm gonna hurt him._

Papyrus laughed as one of his brother's eyes lit up.

 _I'm gonna KILL him._

 **"you think you're funny? you think this is FUNNY** _ **?!"**_

 **"I think you're funny."**

 **"you think** _ **jail**_ **is funny? you're going to** _ **JAIL**_ **papyrus!"**

 _He's gonna blast me._

 **"Wowie, capitals and italics."**

Sans struggled in Papyrus's hold.

 **"let go of me you freak!"**

 _I'm gonna blast HIM._

 **"Nyeh heh heh! But brother I love you!"**

There was no way he was letting go. If Papyrus had any weakness, it was his inability to ignore any opportunity to annoy someone, Great Papyrus or not.

 **"get off me!"**

 **"Big brotheerrr!"**

 **"NOW."**

 **"Big broootheerrrr!"**

 **"KNOCK IT OFF PAPYRUS!"**

It was the Undyne conversation all over again. He knew he had to stop, but he just couldn't do it.

 **"I'm younger than you, so you have to be nice to me!"**

 _I am so uncomfortable right now. What is this weird little brother persona? He's in his twenties..._

 **"all i have to do is call undyne!"**

 **"Nooooo!"**

 **"I'M DOING IT! I'M CALLING UNDYNE!"** yelled Sans.

 **"NOOOOOOO!"**

 **"i'm pushing the buttons pap!"**

 **"NOOOOOOOOOO! Don't call Undyyyne!"** Papyrus whined, hugging him tighter.

 _He's not taking this seriously at all is he?_

 **"I'll be good! I promise!"**

 _There's...probably nothing I can do._

 **"Saaaaannss!"**

 _Someone who's been faking for over nineteen years, manipulating others for half their life, is not someone who wouldn't have an alibi or a plan or something._

 _I'm not a threat to him, and neither is Undyne._

Sans eyes returned to normal. His anger was gone just as quickly as it had arrived.

Maybe Papyrus had been right about the mood swings.

Today had definitely been...eventful.

 _Is anyone a threat to him?_

 _Does it even matter?_

 _Why am I even thinking these things?_

 **"Saaaaaaannnssss!"**

Papyrus buried his head in Sans' back.

 _Friends come and go, but Papyrus is the only family I have, the only person I love!_

 _Why am I looking for THREATS?_

 **"I'll be gooood!"**

 _What kind of person would I be to turn against my little bro to save the lives of strangers?_

 **"heh heh heh, she's gonna lock you up forever pappy..."**

 _I wouldn't be a person. I'd be a freakin' animal._

 **"NYEW HOO HOOOO!"**

 _This is my little brother._

 **"you'll never eat spaghetti again."**

 **"Stop picking on meeeee!"**

 _This is the smile I should be protecting._

 **"maybe you'll make some friends in prison,"** Sans teased. **"YOU might even find a sweetheart, wouldn't that be nice?"**

Papyrus made a face.

 _It doesn't matter what he is, or what he does._

 _It's my job to look after him._

 **"If you don't be nice to me, I'm gonna put you in the Cuddle Puddle,"** warned Papyrus, pointing to the pile of children. He took the one he was working on and proceeded to remove the top part of their skull carefully.

 **"Pfft! ha ha ha ha! cuddle puddle, i like that. it's messed up, but i like it...wah-watcha' doing?"**

 **"Hmm..."**

 **"pap."**

Tossing the top of the skull aside, Papyrus placed his gloved hand on the big squishy thing inside gently. When he didn't get the result he wanted, the taller skeleton bit his thumb and turned to look at Sans.

 **"what are you trying to do bro?"**

 **"Place your hand on this for me, won't you?"**

Sans obeyed without question.

 _Sure, why no-_

 **"HUUU!"**

The burnt human child's eyes shot open immediately, and it sucked in air, desperate to fill their previously empty lungs.

 **"NOPE!"**

Sans took his hand off of the child and walked out of the cave briskly. It fell to the ground; dead once again.

 **"SANS *pfft* WAIT!"** Papyrus ran after his brother. **"nope, nope, nope, nope, nope."**

Catching up to Sans, he grabbed the sleeve of his hoodie laughing.

 **"what the hell was that pap?"**

 **"It's...nyehee hee hee, just a prank bro. It's just a prank."**

 **"a prank?"**

 **"Indeed. The camera is right there,"** said Papyrus, pointing at a dark corner.

Sans squinted trying to see it. He didn't remember Alphys putting a camera near here; if she did there'd be trouble. It was a spot facing directly at the cave.

 _Does Papyrus KNOW these cameras have night vision? Oh shit, did it pick up what Flowey-_

 _TTTTIP!_

Sans didn't get to finish that thought before some kind of liquid fell onto his head. He brushed the offending liquid off his skull, only to have his hand come back covered in blood.

 **"Nyeha ha ha ha! JAPED AGAIN BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"**

It took the comedian a few seconds to realize what had happened; it took less time to punch his brother in the arm.

 **"OW!"**

 **"you're real sick pap."**

 **"Pardon?"**

 **"forget it."**

 **"My scarf was soaked; I had to wring it out SOMEWHERE."**

 **"FORGET IT."**

 **"Saaannss, don't be mad at me!"**

 **"sick bastard..."**

 **"SAAAANNNSSS!"**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

 **A True Hero Is Born**

* * *

 **"That trial was bullshit, Asgore!"** Undyne slammed her fist down on the king's dining table angrily. It had taken her a long time to get an audience with him; too long. Whenever she, the captain of the Royal Guard, had to make an appointment, it meant Asgore _really_ didn't want to be bothered.

And the fact that he didn't want to be bothered now of all times, meant that he didn't want Papyrus coming in.

 _He wants Papyrus to get killed so the Resort Killer can run free and clean up the Underground!_

 _No, no Asgore wouldn't do that...but then what IS he doing?_

 _Does he just want the killer to keep crime at bay? Did he and Papyrus strike a deal or something...?_

The king looked up from his paperwork nervously. He had been just finishing up the Resort area's missing monster reports. It was always depressing to see someone he thought was a good person, killed by the Resort Killer...

 **"What do you mean Undyne?"** he asked nonchalantly.

 **"You know what I mean. Papyrus may be innocent, but you're not. I know you're hiding something; spill it."**

The king sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. This wasn't going to be pleasant. He needed a moment to find the right words, but with Undyne's limited patients, that would most likely be impossible. **"My dear, what could I possibly be hiding, and why would I hide anything?"**

Undyne tapped her fingers on the table. How could she put her suspicions without hurting his feelings? **"I think you're stalling the investigation because you want the Resort Killer to do your job."**

Nailed it.

 **"If you mean I'm stalling the investigation because I want the Resort Killer to do YOUR** **job, you are correct."**

Undyne's eyes grew wide.

 _He did NOT-MMMMMHHHH!_

 **"My JOB is to apprehend criminals, not kill them! Every monster deserves a trial!"** Killing monsters without giving them a chance wasn't justice, it was murder. It didn't matter what their crime was, they should of all gotten a chance to explain themselves.

 **"That's true. Unfortunately, not every criminal can be caught. It may seem wrong Undyne, but the results speak for themselves."**

 _Is he serious?!_

 **"The** _ **results**_ **are a bunch of monster's weeping for their loved ones! What makes you think this psycho is only killing criminals?** _ **What makes you think they'll stop when they're all gone?"**_

 **"Nothing,"** Asgore replied. **"but if a few are and have to be sacrificed to save the many, so be it. It's true, some monsters are grieving, but at least they live TO grieve."**

Undyne shook her head. This wasn't the monster that trained her. Where was the cool hero that sought justice for all? Where was the fearless leader who was ready to fight a war they already lost once? **"That's wrong. That isn't justice. That's cold and cruel..."**

 **"Sometimes we have to do things that are wrong, to succeed in things that are right. Sometimes we must get dust on our hands in order to protect the people we love."**

 _Do the wrong thing, to do the right thing..._

Asgore put his face in his hands. He may have been covered in fur, but Undyne could see he was clearly different from the young monster she once knew.

He looked...old.

Old and tired.

 **"I've never wanted anyone to get hurt...I've never wanted to hurt anyone; but if I must kill someone, be it an innocent monster, or...human child, I will. You can't be a hero if you aren't willing to put your feelings aside and take a life when you need to."**

 _"Really what? How am I suppose to figure out you don't need protection if you've always been a weenie? I've never seen you hurt anyone! Being a Royal Guard means protecting others, but you can't do that if you can't bring yourself to destroy your opponents when you need to!"_

The guard captain frowned, remembering the words she spoke to Papyrus. They were exactly the same as what Asgore was telling her now.

Was he right?

 _Is putting my morals before the people I'm protecting, morally wrong?_

 _It's the same as Papyrus not wanting to hurt anyone. He's putting what he wants ahead of what must be done._

Undyne sighed.

He was right.

It sucked, but he was right.

Being a hero didn't just mean having to take a punch every once in a while; there were more serious consequences. Eventually every hero would end up like Asgore: burdened with tremendous guilt and tired of fighting.

What separated a hero from a normal fighter was their level of selflessness. Asgore took in a human in order to bring monsters and humans together and avoid war, and was ridiculed by the prejudice monsters he swore to protect. He lost his actual son because of that human. He even gave up his own wife to bring hope to the Underground. Asgore tore his family and life apart for his kingdom. This tired old man was what a hero REALLY looked like.

 **"I...understand. Being a hero means doing EVERYTHING in your power to protect others,"** said Undyne solemnly, **"Regardless of your own morals you must remember that it's** _ **them**_ **that matter, not yourself.** Undyne raised her fist in the air, Determination flashing in her eyes, finally understanding. **"I'll choke a baby if it means protecting the people, their hopes, and their dreams! I'll beat the hell outta that baby! I'll protect everyone with my life AND my heart! NOTHING will stop me! Not even myself! I'll set EVERYONE free! Just you watch!"**

 **"Thank you Undyne. I trust you'll keep my stalling a secret then?"**

 **"Of course sir! You can count on me!"** exclaimed Undyne passionately.

 **"Wonderful! Now, could you do me another favor?"**

 **"Anything."**

 **"Get down from my table?"**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

 **Fonts and Thoughts**

* * *

Sans turned around and began to walk out of the dump.

 **"Where are you off to brother?"**

 **"i'd like to talk to you somewhere that enables breathing,"** Sans replied. **"i said some things in that cave I shouldn't have. could we maybe...start over?"**

Sans began to walk out of the dump and back into Waterfall.

 **"Of course brother, one moment."**

Papyrus ran out of the cave and pressed the rock switch. The wall came back up, entombing the dead children forever.

The brothers walked into Waterfall and traveled over the docks until the garbage smell was gone.

 **"That little human you were carrying? I drowned her right over there. I blasted her too. She left a funny cartoonish imprint on the wall back there; did you see it?"**

 **"yeah. her feet are still in her shoes somewhere in that patch of grass."**

 **"Gross. I do hope you were smart enough not to pick them up."**

 **"uhh...yeah. didn't touch em'."**

 **"..."**

 **"what?"**

 **"Nothing."**

Papyrus looked to the place where he found the human once more, shuddering at the memory.

* * *

 **"*Munch* *Munch*"** A little girl in Temmie armor sat on a dock in Waterfall eating some Temmie Flakes out of a box. She swung her feet back and forth over the water, the tip of her ballet shoes just touching the surface.

She was covered head to toe in dust.

 **"Hmm hmm hmmm hmmmm..."** Humminga tune, shethrew the empty box of Temmie Flakes into the water and got up dusting the crumbs off.

 **"Littering human? You should know better."**

The little girl jumped and looked right to see Papyrus standing on the dock with his arms crossed.

He looked disappointed in her.

 **"It's okay, this waterfall leads to the dump!"** she said cheerfully.

 **"You've been to the dump have you? You're quite the traveler!"**

The small child put her hands behind her back and smiled brightly. **"I've explored all over the mountain almost! This place is my favorite..."**

Papyrus looked around him and smiled. **"It is beautiful isn't it?"** said Papyrus wistfully. **"My brother adores this place as well. He and many others like to pretend the stones in the ceiling are stars. Someday I hope to show him real stars..."**

 **"That's nice. My mom makes Christmas cookies in the shape of stars** **around this time of year. She sprinkles them with sugar and they sparkle just like those stones,"** said the girl pointing up.

Papyrus bent down with his hands on his knees. **"You know, many monsters come here and make wishes on these stars. Do you have a wish?"**

The little girl thought for a moment, her nose scrunching up and jaw moving to the side. **"Ummm...I would like a giant star cookie."**

Papyrus stood up straight and laughed.

Children were adorable no matter what species they were.

 **"Nyeh heh heh heh! A giant cookie? That's so silly! Won't it get stale?"**

The little girl shook her head fiercely. **"No! I'm gonna eat it. All of it. Imma eat the whole thing."**

 **"The whole thing?"**

 **"The whole thing!"** exclaimed the girl holding her arms out wide to illustrate her point.

Papyrus put on a pouty face. **"You won't share any?"**

 **"No, it's mine!"**

 **"Well what if I want some?"**

 **"You can't have any. It's mine,"** said the child firmly.

 **"That's not very nice! Nyeh heh ha ha ha ha!"**

 **"That's too bad. It's my cookie."**

 **"You should learn to share human!"** said Papyrus thoroughly amused.

 **"You can have the Temmie Flakes. They're yucky anyway."**

The tall skeleton looked surprised. **"You found Temmie Village?"** Temmie Village was hard for most monsters to find, nonetheless an outsider.

 **"Yeah! It was real hard. I kept messing up on the glowy puzzle."**

 **"Is that where you got that armor?"** asked Papyrus pointing to the girl's chest.

 **"Yeah huh! I saw it in the store and I thought it looked pretty, so I took it,"** replied the girl proudly.

 **"You...took it?"**

 **"Yep! It's mine now."**

Papyrus sighed. **"Human, you can't just take things without asking; that's stealing."**

The little girl crossed her arms and gave him a defiant look. **"So? I can do whatever I want! You're not the boss of me!"** said the child blowing a raspberry.

 **"That armor belongs to the Temmies. You should give it back."**

 **"No! It's mine!"** yelled the girl stubbornly. She stomped her feet in the dirt angrily.

 **"Human..."**

 _They're not gonna give of the armor peacefully, are they?_

The little girl got into a battle stance.

 **"You want to fight me?"**

 **"Yeah! I'll dust you like all the others if you try and take my stuff!"**

 **"That's not your-"**

The little girl never let him finish. She leaped at him, extending her foot to kick his ribs. **"HEY!"**

Papyrus caught her by the foot and held her upside down. **"Behave yourself child! Give me that armor before we have iss-AH!"**

The human bit down on Papyrus's gloved hand as he tried to remove the armor.

 **"It's mmm, nine!"** said the girl still holding his hand in her mouth.

 **"Ow ow ow ow ow!"** Papyrus swung his arm wildly in an attempt to free himself from the girl's seemingly iron-like jaws. It felt like she was crushing his bones beneath the glove and he could of sworn he heard something snap.

 **"RELEASE ME, DEVIL BABY!"**

 **"MMMM!"**

Finally her jaw got tired and he was able to send her flying backwards to the ground, where she landed in a small patch of grass. **"Ah! Owww!"** cried the girl glaring at him hatefully. **"Grrr...you!"**

 **"AHH!"**

The little girl got back up and was immediately blasted by a Gaster Blaster.

 _BLOOSH!_

The force sent the little girl flying into the wall behind her and left her a smoking mess.

 _My god..._

 _Evil little thing almost took my finger off..._

He looked down at the smoking child fearfully, holding his hand.

 _Is it dead?_

She wasn't moving and the armor was ruined.

 _Well, so much for returning the armor._

Walking over to the child, Papyrus picked her up by the neck and began to carry her towards the dump. He made it to the first dock when he heard a scream similar to a banshee.

 **"IIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!"**

 **"AAAHHHHHHH!"**

Startled, Papyrus tripped over a loose plank and fell backwards onto the dock. **"UGH!"**

The little girl charred and enraged suddenly got up and rushed him as he scrambled away. **"IIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEAAAHHHHH!"**

 **"AAAHHHHHHH!"** The skeleton continued to scoot backwards away from the screeching hell spawn and as she leapt upon him he put his hands up to defend himself.

Clawing and biting she attacked him like a feral animal, screaming so loudly he feared she would cause a cave-in.

 **"GET OFF ME! GET OFF OF MEEE!"** He kicked at the little girl, desperately trying to free himself from her frenzied attack.

 **"IIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEAAAAHHHHH!"**

 **"UHAH!"** Papyrus cried out as he felt her teeth close around his hand again. He hit her over and over again with his fist, but her teeth only clamped down harder.

 **"UHHAAAA!"** Taking his hand he put it underwater along with the girl's head. She let go of his hand, but he kept her under as she thrashed and hit his arm over and over.

 **"DIE, SPAWN OF INCUBI!"**

The thrashing became worse as she ran out of air. Eventually she went still and the bubbles she had been making finally stopped.

Papyrus sat on the dock breathing heavily. His battle body was torn and scratched up as if he'd gotten into a fight with an alley cat. He sat there for a few minutes, never daring to take his eyes off the little girl.

 _Is...is it dead?_

 _Pleeease be dead..._

A small blue soul soon floated up from the water, causing Papyrus to blink in confusion a couple of times.

 _Oh right._

 _Humans leave their soul behind when they die._

 _I forgot._

Collecting the soul, Papyrus looked down at the dead child floating in the water.

 _I hope they were right about this waterfall leading to the dump..._

 _cause' I'm not carrying that thing._

* * *

 **"hey papyrus? you okay there buddy?"**

Sans' voice brought Papyrus back down to reality. **"Wha-What? I'm sorry Sans...I was miles away."**

 **"are you okay? you've been quiet for a while now..."**

 **"I'm fine Sans. You err, wanted to start over right?"**

 **"right."**

 **"Alright, Take Two,"** said Papyrus crossing his arms.

 **"Heh heh, okay...bro, you know if you ever have a problem, you can come to me, right?"**

 **"OF COURSE BROTHER. NOT THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN'T SOLVE HIS OWN PROBLEMS MIND YOU."**

 _Is he really doing this again...?_

 **"drop the act pap, you're not fooling anybody."**

Papyrus smiled innocently, though looking slightly confused. **"WHATEVER DO YOU MEAN SANS?"**

 _Wow, he's really doing this from the beginning._

 **"i mean, i know you're hiding things and i'd appreciate it if you'd talk to me."**

 **"I AM TALKING TO YOU, BROTHER."**

 **"don't be a jackass. i'm trying to have a serious conversation with you."**

Papyrus looked at him in shock. **"WHA-WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"**

 _He looks like he's actually going to cry...bravo._

 **"i can't believe i'm asking YOU to be serious."**

 **"Y-YOU CAN'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT, YOU...YOU...HUMPTY-DUMPTY LOOKIN' JERK!"**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"okay, take three."**

Papyrus smiled at his smaller brother. **"HAMSTER LEGS."**

 **"you're gonna get on my nerves, aren't cha' papyrus?"**

Papyrus looked confused again. **"WHAT HAVE I DONE?"**

 **"why won't you be serious and tell me why you're doing these things?"** Sans asked, trying to keep his patients in check.

 **"You're not someone I can talk to,"** said Papyrus matter-of-factly.

 _Ow._

 **"your friend actually said something similar to that,"** said Sans, struggling to keep a smile on his face.

 _I'm gonna cry again today, aren't I?_

THIS caught Papyrus's attention.

He crossed his arms and walked towards Sans briskly. **"My little friend likes to run his mouth it seems. What, pray tell, did he have to say?"**

Sans opened his mouth to speak and paused.

 _Does Papyrus not trust me?_

 **"Well?"**

 **"h-he insinuated that i was a bad brother,"** Sans stuttered.

 _He's right too; I'm never around and I'm never honest. It's my job to guide my little brother down the right path, but I've never done anything to help him grow or mature. I just keep telling him what he wants to hear._

 **"What else did the little weed say?"**

 **"he said...h-he said, umm..."** Sans' stuttering was even worse this time.

 _I'm gonna cry again._

 _Right in front of Papyrus._

 **"heh heh, i'm not myself at all today, am i?"**

Papyrus's face softened.

 _He's really upset about this, isn't he?_

Papyrus put his arms around his brother and pulled him into a hug. Sans stiffened at first in surprise, but gradually, he calmed down. **"I would never hurt you Sans. You are my entire life. I only want to protect you. You understand that don't you?"**

 _Protect me..._

The smaller skeleton leaned further into the hug.

 **"HAVE NO FEAR BROTHER! THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES NOT HATE YOU! THE VERY IDEA IS PREPOSTEROUS!"**

Sans laughed at his brother's obnoxious yelling.

If Papyrus was still playing around, he couldn't hate him too much, now could he? Sans _was_ still alive after all. He had threatened to turn his brother in while completely alone with him, and was spared.

 _Pap may not trust me, but he loves me enough to put his own life in jeopardy anyway. I could go to Undyne right now, and he'd let me._

All his sadness and worries seemed to magically dissipate into thin air. No matter what the circumstances, he had always felt better in his brother's embrace. Being wrapped up in Papyrus's arms reminded him that he was loved; he had a brother. Family. Someone in his life who loved him because of who he was, not because he was entertaining.

Even though his battle body smelled like blood, it was warm. He noticed part of his costume was still white and almost completely devoid of stains, although Papyrus had been wearing the thing for weeks. He had done a good job of keeping it clean. Sans was actually a little impressed.

 **"i'm glad that you love me pap,"** he whispered. **"but i wish that you'd trust me too. it's true i can be judgmental at times, but i'm willing to listen and at least** _ **try**_ **to understand."**

Papyrus squeezed Sans tighter and buried his head into the crook of his brother's neck. Although he had sounded cheerful before, cheerful was far from what he felt.

He had messed up.

He had REALLY messed up.

His tried to help Undyne, and now he was paying for it.

 _If she hadn't of said anything to Sans, everything would have been fine. Even if I had been arrested, I could of pinned it all on Flowey..._

Papyrus let out a deep sigh and somehow every shred of happiness flew away on the breath he let out. He felt like a deflated balloon, and his cheerful facade vanished.

 **"Are-are you mad at me Sans?"** Papyrus asked in a whisper. **"Do you want me to go away?"**

 _Go away...?_

 **"If you want me to leave I'll leave. You'll never have to see me again, nobody will."**

 _Oh shit..._

 **"I'm kind of tired anyway."**

 _shit shit shit shit shit!_

 **"i don't want you to leave papyrus. i love you very much, no matter what you do. i just want to know why is all."**

Papyrus pulled away and looked at Sans lovingly. His mood seemed to have completely changed. **"It's all for you. I won't let anyone hurt you brother. I'll empty this place out before I let them dust you."** Although Papyrus's voice was calm, Sans could tell something was off. He sounded angry and...scared? **"I'll keep you safe, I promise. I'll happily spend the rest of my life watching over you. I'll never let ANYTHING happen to you!"** His brother's breathing became frantic, and he was starting to shake.

 _What the hell is going on?_

* * *

 _"Tell him Papyrus."_

A young Papyrus of seven years stood in a bright white room wearing a pale green hospital gown and a look of desperation. His back was turned from a monster sitting across from him, a mouse it looked like. They struggled to free themselves from the ropes binding them to their chair.

 _ **"I don't want to! Even if he is a criminal, that's cruel!"**_

A tall skeleton in a scientist garb from behind a thick glass window, narrowed his eyes at the young font.

 _"If you want to save our species, you need to put aside your emotions, and I didn't ask you if you wanted to. Either he dies, or your brother dies."_

Papyrus clenched his fists in anger.

 _ **"You can't kill Sans, he's your son too!"**_

The scientist glared at Papyrus impatiently.

 _"Let me make myself perfectly clear. What Sans is, is a mistake. He can't fight, he can't deceive, even his font is worthless. If he can't help our people, then he is nothing to me but a waste of space. I would NEVER call that failure my son. He is a lab assistant, and those are a dime a dozen,"_ sneered the scientist through clenched teeth.

 _ **"People love Sans more than they'll EVER love you Gaster, me included. If he goes missing, they'll ask questions! You'll get in big, big, trouble!"**_ Exclaimed Papyrus, his hands balled into fists.

 _"Heh heh, trouble my boy? Accidents happen ALL the time, especially in a lab. Especially to lab assistants with one HP."_ Gaster continued to chuckle behind the glass.

The young skeleton's eyes filled with tears.

 _ **"Please..."**_

 _"You either tell him, or you lose your brother,"_ said Gaster firmly.

Papyrus sighed and turning around to face the monster, let his eyes glow orange as the tears finally spilled.

 _ **"You can't breathe,"**_ said Papyrus.

* * *

 **"I'll kill them! ALL of them! No one will EVER lay a hand on you! I'll even use my font if I have to!"** Papyrus's eyes flashed with madness, his voice no longer calm, but panicked. Sans however, found himself more worried than afraid.

 _What the hell's going on? I need to change the subject NOW._

 **"what's a font?"** asked Sans as if he weren't nervous as hell.

Papyrus stopped shaking and looked about him as if he were unsure of his surroundings.

 **"hey..."**

Papyrus immediately returned to normal, as if the episode had never happened at all. **"You don't know what a font is?"** he asked, surprised.

Sans shook his head. Despite all the talk he had heard about fonts that day, he was still lost; he had no idea what his brother was talking about.

 **"Fonts are skeletons. The word also describes a power skeletons have. Depending on how a baby bones is raised it will get a font. You laughed a lot when you were small, and you enjoyed hearing the laughter of others, therefore you got the font Comic Sans."**

Despite the short and scary breakdown he had just watched his brother go through, Sans couldn't keep the smile off his face.

 _Comic Sans...because I'm a comedian and make jokes. Good one bro._

 **"I can't believe Gaster didn't tell you about fonts...do you know anything about our people? Our history?"**

 _I know I heard at least three people talk about fonts, but it's hard to believe Gaster'd keep this a secret from me._

 _Maybe Papyrus talked to the brat and convinced him fonts were a thing...somehow. Maybe Pap and the brat and Flowey were all friends once or something and he's been messing with them...?_

It didn't feel like Papyrus was lying though. He actually looked pretty upset about it.

 _Maybe he told them because he actually believes it. Does Papyrus truly believe this is a thing?_

Sans had heard the phrase "there's a method to every madness". Perhaps this was his brother's.

 _Alright. No big deal. I can fix this._

 **"i assume my ability is to make people laugh?"**

Papyrus smiled and clapped his hands excitedly. **"Yes, yes! You already got it! You can force people to laugh."**

Sans blinked a couple times, slightly insulted.

 _He really doesn't find me funny does he?_

 **"what's your font do papyrus?"** asked Sans attempting to ignore the unintended jab. He had to admit, he was curious. All he knew about Papyrus was that it was a type of paper from a place on the surface called Egypt. He couldn't fathom what power his brother could possibly associate with it.

Papyrus stopped smiling and looked at the ground as if he were embarrassed.

 **"I'm...the Lying Font. I can make people believe whatever I say, or whatever I show them as long as it's a lie."**

 _What?_

 _What the hell does that have to do with Egypt or paper?_

 **"that sounds a lot cooler than mine. can i see it in action?"**

 **"Fonts don't work on other skeletons and I really don't like using it..."**

 _Of course._

 **"But I can use it on someone else if you really want me to."**

 _Yeah okay, sure you can._

 **"awesome bro! let's go to the shop in snowdin and get some free cinnabuns. i'm nothing but skin and bones."**

 **"Sans..."**

 **"minus the skin."**

 **"SANS!"**

The shorter skeleton quickly grabbed Papyrus before he could object, and teleported them both to Snowdin. If Sans could prove to his brother that he was full of crap, maybe he'd agree to see a therapist.

Papyrus breathed a sigh of relief when it was clear no one was near the shop. Not a dog in sight.

 _Hairy beasts are probably drinking down at Grillby's._

 _FLOOSH!_

A cold snowy wind blew into the small building as the brothers both walked into the shop; Papyrus shook the snow off the bottom of his boots before stepping onto the shopkeeper's floor and grimaced as he noticed Sans hadn't bothered. His brother could really stand to learn some common courtesy.

 **"Hello there, Sans and...Papyrus was it? How may I help you?"** asked the shopkeeper. Sans winced at her tone. The last thing his little brother needed was more stress...unless he didn't really care about being popular. Did he care? Sans would have to remember to ask later.

Sans watched Papyrus expectantly, and was surprised when he saw his eye sockets began to glow a fierce orange.

He knew that one of his sockets glowed blue whenever he got angry, but he'd never seen Papyrus do it. Two eyes really made a difference appearance wise.

 _He looks like a jack-o-lantern...cool._

 **"You want to give Sans and I some cinnabuns for free."**

The shopkeeper, without hesitation, gave Papyrus two cinnabuns.

 **"Have a nice day you two!"** the shopkeeper called after them.

Sans followed Papyrus towards the Ruins in stunned silence.

 **"You know brother, (munch) I never really pictured you as a thief. Do you use that tele-thing you do to steal from banks?"**

 **"how the hell did you do that? did you set that up? you had to of set that up."**

Papyrus swallowed and replied, **"I didn't think you'd believe me right off the bat. Keep in mind dear brother, you didn't tell me where we were even going."**

 **"yes i did."**

 **"I can prove it another way though if you're unsatisfied,"** said Papyrus ignoring Sans.

 **"i am very unsatisfied."**

 _There's no way this is real..._

Papyrus finished the last of his cinnabun and took a white hanker chive out of the pockets Sans had made for his blue briefs, to clean his gloves. **"Give me the name of someone I know and I'll make everyone believe I am them."**

Sans thought for a moment, and grinned.

 _There's no way he can set THIS up..._

Teleporting home, Sans returned a few minutes later with a pen and some paper.

 **"you said you can make anyone believe anything as long as it's a lie right? if i draw something, you can make people believe you're whatever random thing i draw."**

 **"That's a wonderful idea! Very clever Sans!"** Papyrus gave him a round of applause.

 _He's bluffing, he's GOT to be..._

Sans quickly drew his picture and presented it to Papyrus.

 **"..."**

Papyrus looked at the drawing and back at Sans.

 **"what's wrong bro? having second thoughts?"**

Papyrus looked disappointed in him. **"I'm not walking around disguised as a penis, Sans."**

 **"it's a rocket ship,"** Sans replied, insulted again.

 **"Oh. OH! I see it, okay."**

 **"let's visit asgore; we haven't seen him in awhile,"** said Sans, dropping the drawing and beginning to eat his cinnabun.

Papyrus picked the drawing up out of the snow and put it in his briefs to throw away later. **"I actually saw him awhile ago, when Undyne arrested me and took me to trial."**

Sans stopped eating; his eye glowing.

 _She DID arrest Papyrus...she arrested my little brother AND told me he was a serial killer! AND SHE FIRED HIM!_

 **"welp, you're not in prison; so i assume you were found innocent."**

 _HE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!_

 _SHE DIDN'T EVEN CALL ME TO TELL ME HE WAS INNOCENT!_

 **"He actually never said I was innocent. I just told him I knew who the killer was, and he just believed me. I have some suspicions, but I'd rather not speak of them here."**

Sans finished his cinnabun and dropped the wrapper. **"speaking of the killer, does he take requests?"**

Papyrus picked the wrapper up out of the snow. **"I wouldn't know. I do hope you aren't planning on putting a hit on anyone, my dear brother. That's illegal and there's a camera right there,"** said Papyrus, pointing at his makeshift station.

 _Oh shit!_

 **"nah bro, i'm just wondering why they're killing people. maybe they're assassins or something; takin' jobs from other people. they could earn a lot of money that way."**

Papyrus narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. **"Just what are you suggesting, brother?"** He already knew what Sans was getting at, but he wanted to make sure.

The smaller skeleton walked away from the area with the camera, and headed towards home. **"i'm just saying, why would they take the risk of being caught without some kind of reward? seems wasteful if you ask me. it'd be more profitable to kill for other people."**

 **"Perhaps it's for sport? Or maybe they just have a vendetta against criminals..."**

Sans began to sweat as he felt his brother's eyes bore into his back. He stepped inside the house and went upstairs to his room in order to change into something that didn't smell like death.

 _I'm getting a skull-full when I come down, aren't I?_

As Sans entered his room, Papyrus headed to the laundry room to wash his battle body.

He wasn't angry per say, but he WAS worried.

Very worried.

His brother wasn't a Horror Font. He didn't like scary things, or being scared. Blood, gore, and violence may be up Papyrus's alley, but it wasn't his brother's. While Papyrus could easily shrug off seeing a mutilated body, Sans probably couldn't. Just _seeing_ inside the cave back at the dump could traumatize a Normal Font or monster; maybe even a human.

Sans was strong, but Papyrus couldn't help but wonder as he put his battle body into the washer, if his brother was doing all right with everything that had happened today.

Sans had found out his only family was not only a murderer, but had been lying to him for over nineteen years. He had found the body of a small child that he knew was his brother's doing, picked it up, and snuck it to the dump. Later he had then run into his murderous brother, tried to keep what he knew a secret, entered a bloody cave filled with MORE dead children, watched his little brother carve open one of their heads, let his brother know what he knew, AND threatened to turn him in...all while being completely alone with him.

 _Sans isn't stupid, but what he did was._

 _Is he okay?_

Papyrus hit the button on the washing machine and sat down in a chair to wait, as it hummed to life. He looked down at his burnt hands and cringed; remembering something.

 **"hey bro, are you in there?"**

 **"A moment brother; I'm indecent."**

There was no such thing as a good or bad person; just people with different beliefs. Different ways of thinking. A "good" person could turn "bad" and vice versa with ease. All it took was one event, one idea to turn into a belief, and a person's personality could change completely...

 **"hey, uh, you're not mad at me are ya'?"**

 _Did anything that happened today change Sans?_

 **"No Sans, I'm just concerned. Are you doing alright?"**

 **"yeah. i'm not getting picked on or anything. i was just really mad at undyne. she's supposed to be your friend, but she had you arrested...what did happen at her place?"**

 **"It was merely an argument that got out of hand. I will admit, I may have possibly had a hand in that."**

Sans chuckled from behind the door. **"you messed with her, didn't you?"**

 _DING!_

Washer was done, now to put everything into the dryer.

 **"How would you feel about accompanying me during my next visit to the Resort?"**

There was a pause.

Good.

 **"ahhh i don't know bro, maybe? like on an off day."**

Not good.

 **"hunting'sss not reallly my cup of tea, but i could come with you every once in a while,"** said Sans, **"you sometimes come with me to grillby's once in a blue moon, i should do the same for you."**

 **"Sans-"**

 **"i know i haven't been spending a lot of time with you lately...no, not just lately, everyday. we barely see each other unless we're both working. i want to fix that."**

 **"I was only testing to see if you were well, Sans. I want you safe; that means no 'hunting' as you called it. I'm worried about you. Your reactions to today's events are...not what I expected."**

It was silent behind the door for a good five seconds, and for a moment, Papyrus had wondered whether his brother had gone off.

 **"are...are you insinuating that i have mental issues?"**

 **"W-well-"**

 **"because that's what i'm hearing."**

 **"You tried to put a hit on my boss,"** said Papyrus incredulously.

 **"i told you, i was just upset."**

 **"You can't kill someone just because you're upset, brother; that's dangerous."**

 **"i'm not-"**

 **"OR get someone else to kill them FOR you. I know we're family and you CAN trust me, but-"**

 **"would ya' listen to me for a second? i. WASN'T. SERIOUS."**

Papyrus smiled mischievously behind the door. **"I can tell when you're lying brother, it's part of my font."**

 **"i meant it then, but i don't mean it now!"**

 **"Because you're in trouble."**

 **"are you messing with me right now?!"**

 **"Nyeh heh heh heh heh heh!"**

 _God..._

 **"*sigh* are your clothes done yet? can we go?"**

 **"Yeah, just hold on..."**

Sans waited as Papyrus got into his battle body.

It had only been a day, but he had learned a lot about his younger brother.

Like how he was worse than Sans in every regard.

 _He can't take ANYTHING seriously. He'd probably make a messed up joke while turning to dust._

Papyrus stepped out of the laundry room smiling, feeling fresh and new. He picked Sans up and hugged him in his arms, warm and happy.

 _Sans is okay! He wasn't lying!_

 _My brother may be physically and emotionally weak, but he's apparently mentally strong._

 _I'm so proud._

 _CLACK!_

Papyrus kissed his brother's cheekbone and carried him down the stairs.

 **"uhhh..."**

 **"Mmmm, you smell nice brother..."** said Papyrus, burying his face in Sans' neck.

Sans' face turned a bright blue.

 **"h-hey..."**

 **"These are clean clothes, yes? I'm glad you were kind enough to change before we went to see the king."**

The smaller skeleton laughed.

 **"oh, that's what you meant."**

 **"Well yeah; what did you think I meant?"**

 **"nothing. i thought you were after my heart. wouldn't want you to** _ **jacket**_ **."**

 **"You're wearing a hoodie."**

 **"so?"**

Papyrus put Sans down.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:**

 **Sick To Death**

* * *

 **"Chara?"**

The human in the blue sweater didn't respond.

Flowey gave them an experimental kick to see if they'd move. A groan was heard, signaling that the child was still alive.

They WERE alive, but they didn't move. They couldn't move. Their stomach hurt like hell. Everything was hell. Fuck that bake sale, and fuck those spiders.

 **"Chara get up. We got work to do."**

Chara still didn't respond. They couldn't even hit the reload button.

Flowey glared down at them angrily.

 _Did they actually get the diabetes?_

Flowey kicked them again.

 _What the hell happened to Toriel? She should have been back AGES ago!_

 _Dumb little shit..._

 _This is all YOUR fault._

 **"You brought this on yourself you know,"** said Flowey smugly. **"Maybe if you weren't such a fatass you wouldn't be in so much pain."**

Another kick.

 **"I'm gonna have to carry you aren't I, tons of fun?"** Flowey summoned his vines and wrapped them around the child. **"I'm gonna have to carry you like a little baby."**

Dragging Chara, Flowey made his way back to the Special Place. It was nowhere near as close as Toriel's house, but that was the point.

Chara had to pay for this SOMEHOW. Flowey had wasted his time watching over them, WAITING for them to shape up and stop being an idiot, but they were determined.

 **"Maybe if you walk all the way back here, you'll lose some weight."**

 **"*whimper*"**

 **"Gosh, you might even grow a brain and do what you're suppose to! Wouldn't that be special?"**

He grunted as he tried to lift Chara and walk at the same time. His little roots weren't meant to carry so much weight.

Flowey sighed as he reached the pitfall puzzle. There was no way he was making it across with Chara dragging behind him.

He could of just dropped them into one of the pits, but he remembered what happened to the little baby he had found in the Ruins. They broke their neck from the fall, and he was afraid if Chara reloaded, their stomach would too.

 _And we'd be right back here, because you're too brain dead to learn from your mistakes._

Flowey scratched his chin thoughtfully.

 _Maybe if I lowered them down with my vines like a rope sling thing..._

Activating the nearest pitfall pit, he gently tried to lower his sibling into the hole...and was immediately pulled down with them.

 _THUD!_

Chara hit the ground face first with Flowey falling on top of them.

 _I don't know why I thought that would work, but they haven't reloaded, so that's good._

The vines had kept the child's limbs from breaking, but their head had hit the ground hard enough to knock them out.

 _That's even better._

 _Serves them right._

The tiny flower continued to drag them toward the hole that would allow them to reach the other side, when a voice spoke to him, sounding concerned.

 **"Oooooo...I heard you fall from the next room..."** said a ghost with sad eyes.

 **"Beat it Casper. We don't need your help."**

 **"But that creature has so much L.O.V.E...they won't make any friends if people see it..."**

 **"Take a hike!"**

The small ghost with sad eyes floated over Chara, and moved in a circle.

-25 EXP

 **"WT-FUCK DID YOU JUST DO!?"**

 **"I only wanted to help them make friends...but it looks like I just made things worse. Oh no..."** The ghost then vanished, leaving behind an enraged flower.

 _Oh my god..._

Flowey checked Chara's stats.

LV: 1

HP: 20

AT: 10

DF: 10

EXP TO NEXT LV: 10

 _OH MY GOD!_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen:**

 **Memories Fade, Trauma Doesn't**

* * *

Sans teleported he and his brother to Asgore's Throne Room as quickly as possible. Papyrus had told him earlier that he was supposed to meet up with Flowey near the entrance to the Ruins around this time, and was only willing to prove himself sane beforehand if they made it quick.

Activating his font, Papyrus approached the king who had his back turned to them, apparently filling up a watering can.

The king, turned around and dropped the watering can in surprise, spilling its contents. He had not been expecting so many visitors today.

 **"Oh! Hello boys. Gave me quite a start. You shouldn't sneak up on an old man like that."**

 **"while we're here, you can give that soul to the king,"** whispered Sans.

Papyrus's eyes grew wide.

 **"Oh my god."**

 **"what's up, papyrus?"**

 _I put the soul in the washer and dryer!_

 **"I completely forgot about the soul! Thank you! Any longer and it might of disappeared."**

 _Please be in one piece..._

Taking out the soul, Papyrus breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to the king. **"Your Highness, I have another soul for you."**

The king smiled brightly. **"Really? That's great news! Thank you err, um...what was your name?"**

 **"Johnson."**

 **"Oh dear..."**

Sans scratched his head in confusion.

He knew he was missing something, but he didn't know what it was.

 **"Hmm...the king doesn't know me that well, so this doesn't prove anything. Let's go visit Undyne instead,"** suggested Papyrus with a grin Sans wasn't sure he liked.

 **"i thought you wanted to go see your friend?"**

 **"He can wait,"** said Papyrus indifferently. **"We've only been here a couple of seconds after all."**

Sans narrowed his eyes in suspicion. **"i actually told alphys i'd stop by in a few minutes...a few hours ago."**

Papyrus closed his eyes and yawned, stretching his arms to the ceiling.

 **"Very well. I've got the whole day off anyway, might as well spend it with you."**

 **"gee pap, don't get TOO excited."**

Sans teleported once more and appeared in Alphy's lab with Papyrus's eyes still glowing. He put a hand on her shoulder and grinned as she jumped three feet in the air.

 **"Aahhhhh!"**

 **"you're awful** _ **jumpy**_ **today."**

Alphys didn't smile, she just looked at him with what looked like pity in her eyes.

That wasn't good.

 **"I called you here be-because um...well..."**

 **"you said you wanted to show me something."**

 **"Well yes, but...you won't like it."**

Alphy's led him over to the security footage and pointed at a screen that showed the inside of Undyne's house. The footage appeared to be paused, with Undyne looking towards the door.

 **"Well that's perverse...and illegal,"** said Papyrus raising a brow.

 **"does undyne know you have a camera in her house?"**

 **"PLEASE DON'T TELL HER!"**

 **"alright, relax! we don't talk much anyway.** _ **fish**_ **we were better friends, but she's ultra violent and i'm a delicate flower."**

 **"Sans..."**

Alphys didn't reply, she just moved her hand toward the play button and took a deep breath.

 _This oughta be interesting._

 **"T-that's how you start the uh, video. Right there."**

 **"wow. you don't even want to press the play button. this has to be really bad."**

 **"I-I'm going to g-go to the bathroom. I'll be out later!"** exclaimed Alphys. She quickly bolted toward a door that he already knew led to the True Lab.

He had worked there with her in the past, doing research on...he couldn't remember.

Sans shook his head, it was already starting to hurt. It always did that when he thought about anything related to his father. Maybe he could ask Papyrus about it later.

It probably wouldn't do any good, but he'd learned that there were many things he still didn't know about Papyrus. All he knew so far was that he was a crazy killer and a smartass with a twisted sense of humor. He knew nothing about what Papyrus really remembered or what his thoughts were on certain things.

He looked toward his brother and had his suspicions confirmed when he saw Papyrus glaring angrily at the lab door.

 _He's remembering something. Wish I knew what it was though. I should talk to him later on._

Papyrus's breathing was heavy and it looked like he was having trouble keeping himself under control. His glowing eyes made him look scary. A brief memory of a baby bones with orange eyes flashed through Sans' mind along with a stabbing pain and sense of terror.

 **"Ugh..."**

 **"Brother?"**

Sans caught his brother's eyes and they both looked back at the lab door, thinking the very same thing.

 _How much does he know?_

 **"hey bro-"**

Sans jumped as Papyrus unexpectedly reached over and pressed the play button, starting the video. Whatever he remembered, he obviously didn't want to talk about.

Undyne answered the door in the footage and Papyrus greeted her loudly.

 _This is definitely the footage of the argument between her and Pap._

He watched in fascination as Papyrus went from his usual loud and childish self, to a calm adult whose sadistic grin made Sans shiver.

 **"Cold brother?"**

Sans shook his head, deeply disturbed. Not only had Papyrus's mood changed again on a dime, but the grin he made in the video made Sans...excited.

 _I feel warm...all over._

 _Why did I like that?_

 **"you've got a** _ **killer**_ **smile Pap,"** said Sans nervously.

 _Something is definitely wrong._

 _With me and Pap._

 _We're checking out that lab as soon as this is over; I don't care about meeting his friend._

 **"Nyeh hee hee hee..."** Papyrus's eyes stopped glowing and he smiled at him deviously, pressing the pause button on the video.

 _Uh oh._

 **"uhhh, pap?"**

 **"You like my smile, do you?"**

Papyrus snaked his arms around Sans' middle and nuzzled his neck playfully.

 **"heh ha! easy bro, don't be taking that the wrong way now,"** said Sans laughing. He was ticklish there.

 **"How would you like me to take it?"** asked Papyrus, his grin growing wider.

 _Damn..._

 **"i wouldn't. i'm no good for ya' pap."**

 **"Mmm, I think that's for me to decide, don't you think?"** Papyrus slid one of his hands into Sans' hoodie and began rubbing his brother's sensitive ribs.

 _Whoa._

 **"c-come on now, you can do so much better than someone who spends all his time at a b-ba-bar. HA-have a little self-respect...or maybe just respect in general? i'm a heartbreaker anyhow."**

 **"I don't mind if you break me. *audible wink*"**

 _Damn!_

 **"you don't miss a beat do you?"** asked Sans nervously. He let out a soft cry as his brother toyed with one of his ribs, stroking it between his thumb and forefinger.

Although he and Papyrus had joked around before, this felt different. NEVER had he seen his brother play around like this. This was physical, and combined with his brother's acting, well...

 _I'm not losing to this sadist. I already lost round one in his Murder Cave of Death, I'm not losing round two._

 _I just have to maintain my chill..._

 **"you're gettin' kinda handsy bro..."**

 **"You'd be surprised, what my hands can do..."** whispered Papyrus. He dragged his left hand down Sans' shirt and underneath, causing him to jump in surprise as he felt Papyrus's gloved hand slowly stroke his spine.

That was too much.

 **"hey now, you listen here buddy, i don't remember giving you my consent."**

Papyrus stroked him harder.

 **"gah!"**

 **"I don't remember asking for it,"** laughed Papyrus. **"Stay still and I won't harm you."**

Sans froze in shock, as Papyrus continued his ministrations.

 _Is he serious?!_

He moaned softly as warmth spread throughout each and every one of his bones.

He wished it had more to do with Papyrus's actions, but it was what he SAID that really struck him.

 _Would he really do that to me?_

 **"pah...pap..."**

Nuzzling into Sans' hoodie, Papyrus breathed in deeply.

 **"So soft...so warm..."** Papyrus purred.

 **"th-thi-this is too far pap! se-settle down!"**

Papyrus's hands stilled and he began to laugh madly into his brother's hoodie. **"NYEH HA HA HA HA HA HA!"**

 **"y-you're freaking me out papyrus!"**

 **"Okay I'll stop,"** said Papyrus, letting go of his brother. He grinned wildly, obviously pleased with himself.

 **"the hell is wrong with you?!"**

 **"Easy brother, you're liable to break my heart that way."**

 **"i'm liable to break your everything!"**

Papyrus pouted and crossed his arms, as Sans turned back to the video and hit Play.

 **"You're acting weird."**

 **"I'm just being myself."**

 _Yeah, a jackass._

 **"I'm flattered you think so highly of me."**

 **"Well, that's why I'm not letting you into the Royal Guard. You can't kill which means you can't protect."**

 **"Awww noo! I forgot I was going to give the soul to Undyne!"** Papyrus covered his face in his hands.

 **"Nyehhehehe!"**

Sans shuddered as his brother's cold laughter from the footage echoed in his skull. It was a real laugh, but there was no joy in it, no happiness.

 **"you okay there bro?"**

 **"NO! I screwed up! Now I have to find another soul. This sucks!"**

Sans laughed and continued watching the video.

 **"Wh-why are you laughing like that?"**

 **"What would you say if I told you I knew who the killer was?"**

 **"i'm getting francisco scaramanga vibes,"** saidSans amused. He sat down and scooted closer to the screen, resting his head in his arms.

 **"I'd say you were full of crap! There are no clues! None! Nothing was left at ANY crime scene! There weren't even any finger prints, loose feathers, or slime trails! We have NOTHING linking us to ANYONE!"**

 **"Now now, let's not make any unnecessary assumptions. What if they were wearing gloves like me?"**

 **"really dude?"**

 **"Really dude?"**

 **"That's what I would do."**

 _This is a straight-up bond villain impression._

 **"REALLY DUDE?!"**

 **"What? Is that not a good idea?"**

 **"you are such a smartass..."** Sans glanced at Papyrus smiling. His brother was still holding his face in his hands and shaking his head. He clearly wasn't paying attention.

 **"You think this is funny? You think this is a JOKE? People are dead Papyrus! YOU WIPE THAT SADISTIC SMILE OFF YOUR FACE BEFORE I BREAK IT!"**

 **"I'm afraid I can't do that."**

 **"Why not?! And I swear to god if you say because you're a skeleton..."**

 **"..."**

 **"Get out of my house."**

 **"But I know who the killer is!"**

 _He's such a dick..._

 **"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"**

 **"NYEH!"**

The footage ended there.

Sans chuckled, shaking his head.

 _I want a copy._

 **"This isn't funny Sans. Your brother's in a l-lot of trouble!"** said Alphys angrily over an intercom.

Papyrus jolted, startled by the loud and sudden sound of Alphys's voice.

 **"what do you mean he's in trouble? he found out who the killer was! he's a hero!"** said Sans, full on laughing now.

 **"Umm...you know he's going to j-jail right? Don't you even care? Probably not, huh?"** Alphy's crossed her arms and looked at the ground sadly from within the True Lab.

 **"The trial's already over."**

 **"if you had any evidence against him whatsoever i admit i'd be a little worried, but you don't...what do you mean i don't care about papyrus?"** asked Sans.

 **"The trial's already over, I was found innocent."**

 **"Well...you kinda always spend your time either sleeping, selling hotdogs, or going to Grillby's. Y-you don't talk with your brother much and uhh, when you do you tend to well...lie?"** Alphys fiddled with the sleeve of her lab coat, her voice dripping with pity.

 _Does she feel sorry for Papyrus?_

 **"pretty sure he'd be upset if i told him his cooking sucked, or that he looked uncool,"** said Sans in an attempt to defend himself. He knew he had been a poor sibling, but it wasn't like he was the devil incarnate. He planned to work hard to spend more time with his brother and fix his mistakes.

 **"I don't mean to be rude, but umm it seems like you just don't want to feel guilty. You'd rather he embarrass himself in front of the entire town, than get yelled at,"** said Alphys sheepishly.

 **"what?"**

 **"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! Th-that's just what it looks like from the footage! I shouldn't of said that! I'M SO SORRY!"** Alphys apologized profusely, but Sans barely heard her.

 _Is that what Papyrus thinks?_

 **"relax alphys, you might be right about that. is she right?"**

 **"I'd rather be laughed at than lose you, and besides, some people like clowns! I...just haven't run into those people yet,"** said Papyrus.

 **"..."**

 **"Maybe you should talk to him,"** suggested Alphys, staring at Papyrus strangely.

 _I definitely should talk to him._

 **"thanks alph, i'll do that."**

Alphys grabbed hold of Sans hoodie. **"Before you go, who's the floating guy that looks like a penis that you brought with you? He's k-kinda weird..."** whispered Alphys.

 _So he wasn't nuts...wow. Why didn't Gaster say anything to me? How do I bring this up without being shut down?_

 **"it's a rocket ship,"** said Sans, quietly.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:**

 **Hear No Evil**

* * *

 **"I don't want you going in there,"** said Papyrus grabbing hold of Sans' sleeve.

 **"why not? what's in there? it's something about Dad right? Gaster?"**

 **"I don't need to explain myself to you. Please respect my wishes and stay out of that lab,"** requested Papyrus.

 **"i have a right to know. i'm respecting your wish not to talk about it, but i can't just ignore this."**

Sans struggled to keep his voice at a reasonable level. Alphys was kind enough to allow him to access the True Lab due to the fact that he knew about the Almalgamates, but he still didn't want to disturb her while she was working on Mettaton's upgrades or whatever. He knew what could happen if one thing went wrong.

 **"Tell me brother, have you ever heard the story of Pandora's Box?"**

 **"yes. a girl opened a box and released all the evils into the world, and at the bottom of the box was hope."**

Sans had learned that story from a human book he had found at the dump when he was younger. He had thought that Papyrus at the time had no interest in reading books of any kind, but apparently he had gotten a hold of Sans'.

 **"You won't find 'hope' in that lab, only darkness. A darkness so strong it will snuff out any light you've found elsewhere."**

 **"i'll find more,"** said Sans firmly.

 _Papyrus should really write poetry or something._

 **"You may not survive to find more Sans. This is knowledge that WILL change you, if not kill you."** Papyrus looked desperate. His eyes pleading for him to walk away. The smaller skeleton actually felt sorry for him.

 **"as long as i have you, i can get through it."**

 **"You'll most likely not want to be anywhere near me if you find what you're looking for,"** Papyrus said softly.

 **"i'm not scared of you."**

 **"You've no reason to be. I speak of hate brother."**

 _Is that right?_

 **"what did you do?"**

Although Sans had wanted to keep from asking his brother questions, he couldn't help but ask that one.

Papyrus shot him a venomous look, anger and tears in his eyes. **"I won't say anymore. If you want to destroy your mind and our lives, be my guest. I can't stop you, but I'll have no part in it."**

Sans could see that he had given up. Every warning thrown his way only increased his curiosity, and Papyrus knew it. At this point, he was only doing everything he could to avoid feeling guilty in the future when something DID happened to Sans. He wore the same expression back at the dump when he asked if he wanted him to 'go away'. He looked like he truly believed his life was over, like he was awaiting execution.

* * *

Sans shook his head to clear the memory of the last conversation he and his brother had had, but Papyrus's warnings still echoed in his skull, ominous and dreadful. His voice had been absolutely dripping with a despair he never knew anyone could posses, nonetheless his little brother.

Papyrus had left the lab some time ago, leaving Sans alone in front of the lab door.

He still couldn't go in.

Alphys could be heard upstairs creating the upgrades she needed for Mettaton. She had already finished with the computer schematics and was putting them into action. She hadn't asked why Sans was simply staring at the door, which he was thankful for, but she _did_ tell him that she had already fed the Almalgamates; perhaps she thought he was worried about them attacking him...

 _I can't stay out here all day; not without camping supplies anyway._

Taking a deep breath, Sans stepped inside the door to the True Lab. The elevator door closed shut behind him and he began to descend into the very place he grew up.

 _BZZZZZZZZ..._

This elevator didn't have any music; it fit perfectly with his father's no nonsense attitude.

Sans couldn't remember Gaster very well, but he remembered trying hard to please him in the lab with various ideas and early test results. He remembered him praising him for his successes and giving him advice whenever he failed at something. He remembered working next to him, passing him test tubes and research notes...

But he didn't remember much about Papyrus.

 _SHHHEERRAA!_

The elevator door opened to reveal the inside of the darkened lab. He stepped out hesitantly, trying to decide where he should go first; he didn't want to wind up immediately lost. It had been so long since he'd been down here...

 _Where would I find something related to Dad and Papyrus? Are there even any files left about them? Did Alphys throw them out when she became the new Royal Scientist?_

Sans decided to head right, keeping his hand on the far wall so as to not get lost.

 _A lot has changed down here..._

He came across an area with rows upon rows of beds, and yawned loudly. He was absolutely exhausted. He had done more running around today than he'd done all month; and his brother didn't help matters. This was not the time to sleep however.

 ** _"He split himself in two..."_**

 **"HAH!"** Sans cried out loudly and stumbled back; startled by the ghostly voice in the seemingly empty room.

 **"napstablook?"**

 ** _"He split himself in two..."_**

That wasn't Napstablook.

 _Who was that?_

 ** _"_ _He split himself in two...and called the wrong one, Son."_**

Finally, Sans caught a glimpse of a white creature near one of the beds. At first glance he thought it was an Almalgamate; but it lacked any monster features he recognized. It looked more like white silly putty that had been stretched to ridiculous proportions.

 ** _"He called the gun, his son..."_**

 **"hey, uh, what are you mumbling about?"**

 ** _"If he had called them both Son, would things have been different?"_**

 **"okaay, could you tell me where i could find any files or information about the last royal scientist?"**

 ** _"He split himself in two..."_**

Sans frowned. Whoever this was, they weren't going to help him.

He left the strange creature to their own devices and continued to follow the wall.

 _Who WAS that?_

 _No one else is suppose to be down here..._

Sans had worked hard to gather information about his father since he had gone missing, unfortunately the stories he heard were various and barely added up. He had heard that his father had perished during an experiment that went wrong, that he had fallen into the core, and even that he had been scattered across space and time.

 _THAT'S what we were doing._

 _We were researching timelines._

 _How did I forget that?_

Turning a corner, he came to a narrow hallway filled with full-length mirrors and golden flowers. The flowers were all in pots and seemed to be doing well despite the lack of light.

 _Weird..._

What was even weirder was the placement of the mirrors. Two monitors with recorded research data separated three mirrors and at the end of the hallway, five mirrors stood next to one another in perfect sequence. It almost looked like the room wasn't finished, or had been redecorated badly.

Sans had a wild urge to break the mirrors, but he restrained himself. He didn't want to end up on trial for vandalism; and he sure as hell didn't want to attract any Almalgamates.

He had seen the empty food bowl in the room with all the beds, and he hadn't seen her grab the dog food he had brought over for her either before heading into the lab.

 _Why would she lie about feeding the Almalgamates though? If the place isn't safe, why would she try and get me to go down here?_

 _Is there something here she wants me to find?_

Backing away from the row of mirrors Sans went to check the monitors between them. Alphys had told him about injecting monsters with Determination...and the results of her experiment...but maybe there was something she left out before, on these monitors.

 **"** **entry number 7: we'll need a vessel to wield the monster souls when the time comes. after all, a monster cannot absorb the souls of other monsters. just as a human cannot absorb a human soul... so then... what about something that's neither human nor monster?"**

 _Is this talking about that silly putty guy?_

Alphys didn't mention them, but it made sense that she wouldn't. It had nothing to do with the making of the Almalgamates. It was no different than saying "I ate noodles" and leaving out the part where she put away the leftovers.

 **"entry number 10: experiments on the vessel are a failure. it doesn't seem to be any different from the control cases. whatever. they're a hassle to work with anyway. the seeds just stick to you, and won't let go..."**

 _This isn't about the silly putty guy, it's about these golden flowers. They're doing well because Alphys messed with them._

 _What color is Flowey? Did Papyrus meet him here, or is he just some monster I've never met?_

Walking further right and entering a door, Sans met a dead end. There was only a blue power outlet.

Looks like he was going to have to do more walking.

He began to exit out of the hallway, back into the room with beds, taking one last look at the golden flowers on the shelf.

 _What would they look like with a face?_

 **"i guess my next stop is up and to the right. just gotta keep my hand on the wall..."**

The next room was loud and full of fans. Fans stacked on top of fans blowing winds that were probably cold enough to rival Snowdin...not that Sans would know lacking skin and all.

The stacked fans were so large and high; Sans had to crane his neck just to see three stacks. They were used to keep the Almalgamates from melting, Alphys had said. Whether or not she was lying to get out of sending the fused monsters home was a mystery, but he could see any other reason to have them.

This room had one monitor and it was about Mettaton being a tool as per usual. Sans didn't bother going any further down the path, even though he had told himself that he would stick to the wall no matter what.

If another monitor was about Mettaton, he didn't want to read it, and whatever was down the rest of the hallway probably had something to do with him. After all, the last room had monitors all about putting a monster soul in a flower and the flowers related to the said data.

He could probably get away with skipping a ONE room right?

 _It's not lazy if I have reason to believe it's a waste of time...I can always come back if I don't find anything elsewhere._

 ** _"He did everything he could..."_**

Sans bolted from the wall and pressed his back into the one opposite from it breathing rapidly, his soul pounding in his ribcage. He could of sworn he had heard a voice, but there was absolutely no one in the hallway.

 _Are_ _the WALLS talking to me now?!_

He pressed his hand cautiously against the cracked wall. There was no sound.

 _Am I losing my mind?_

 _Is there something in the air down here? Is that what the fans are for?_

 _ **"He did everything he could, but not what he should..."**_

Sans pulled his hand from the wall as if it had burned him. He winced as it smacked the wall behind him.

There was something wrong with this lab.

Very wrong.

 **"this was a mistake."**

 _ **"He should have been a father..."**_

Sans peeked into the crack in the wall and saw an eye staring back at him. It looked glazed over, like the eyes of the children Papyrus had murdered; cold and dead.

 **"uhhaahhh..."** The comedian backed away from the wall and continued heading left. He had already tried the rescuing thing at Waterfall, and it hadn't gone well.

 _ **"He didn't take good care of his gun..."**_

Another voice, different from the last one spoke to him from another crack in the wall. He walked past it, almost running.

 _Don't freak out._

 _Just ignore it, it'll go away._

 _ **"HE DIDN'T TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIS GUN AND IT BACKFIRED!"**_

Sans dropped to his knees holding his head.

 _ **"HE KILLED US! HE DID IT!"**_

 **"LEAVE ME ALONE!"**

The voice coming from the wall was no longer a whisper, but a scream of rage.

 _ **"WE'RE HERE BECAUSE OF HIM! IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!"**_

 **"WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT?!"**

 _ **"THE MAN THAT SPEAKS IN HANDS!"**_

 _Gaster?!_

 _ **"IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!"**_

 **"PAPYRUS!"**

 _ **"IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!"**_

 ** _"PAPYRUS!"_**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen:**

 **Memory Issues**

* * *

Papyrus stood in front of the Lab looking at his boots. He hadn't moved in quite awhile. He wasn't sure if it was worth his time to even go home. His worst nightmare was being realized as he stood there helpless. When his brother found what he searched for, he would most definitely have his heart broken.

Unlike Papyrus, Sans saw Gaster as a good father. he loved him and he loved working with him. If he didn't hate Papyrus for destroying Gaster, he would hate him for keeping everything he did a secret.

The worst case scenario though, would be Sans turning his hatred upon _himself._

That's what scared Papyrus the most.

He already knew his brother had a problem with depression; he would too if he woke up everyday wondering if he'd survive to see tomorrow. Combine that with crippling self-loathing and you have someone who probably wouldn't have the strength of will to _try_ to see tomorrow. If Sans found out the truth, would he...?

He should have gone with him.

He should go after him.

But he was just so _scared._

What would Sans say to him?

The argument he had with Sans hadn't been hateful, but it still hurt his feelings pretty badly. The fact that he couldn't get his brother to listen to him was painful, because he had THOUGHT he had become someone Sans was willing to rely on and listen to, and apparently was wrong.

Not that he didn't still love him. He even had a plan to go after him. He just needed to be in the right mindset...

He wanted to get down to a point where he didn't care about what happened to himself, so he could go after Sans. He had gotten there before in the dump somehow, but he couldn't seem to do it again and he didn't know why.

 **"This place sucks!"**

Papyrus turned in surprise to see Flowey behind him complaining and lifting his roots off the hot ground.

It was rare to see him anywhere near Hotland. A place of lava was not a place for flowers. He must have needed something important.

 **"Howdy Flowey. What brings you to this little slice of Hell?"**

Flowey lifted a vine and threw a bag of gold at him. **"Here Bonehead, don't say I never did anything nice for ya'."**

 **"Are you giving me a gift, or an errand to run?"**

 **"It's a gift! A little piggy dropped it. How lucky!"** exclaimed Flowey with a wink, sticking his tongue out.

 _Since it's Chara's fault they're back at level one, they can go ahead and start at the beginning. Ha!_

 **"I brought some food too!"** said Flowey waving a vine laced with doughnuts and cider. Papyrus was surprised none of the cider was spilling out from the way Flowey was swinging it.

 **"Alright, let's go on a picnic."**

 _Maybe something random will happen and give me courage._

 _A miracle or something. It's better than just standing here anyway._

 **"Yaaaay! Picniiic!"** shouted Flowey waving his leaves.

Papyrus bent down and allowed his friend to coil around his arm. **"Hey Pappy, since I was so kind to arrange this picnic of ours; brought the food and stuff, I think you should carry some of it."**

 **"Sounds fair to me,"** said Papyrus, picking up as many jugs of cider as he could, **"I assume your sibling will be joining us?"**

 **"Chara's taking a coma. I'm sure they won't miss me TOO much..."**

 **"You don't sound as concerned as you should be,"** said Papyrus annoyed. Here he was worried about his family and Flowey was leaving his all by themselves. Papyrus understood that his little friend had trouble feeling compassion, but that didn't mean he lacked a brain. He had TOLD Flowey to prepare for the future; for when he DID get a soul. How would he feel if he got his compassion back and he didn't have his sibling anymore?

Then again, Flowey knew more about the future than Papyrus did. Maybe he already knew they'd be fine.

 _Why's his sibling a human anyway? Was Flowey a human once? Did someone turn Flowey from a human into a flower? Did the human come here to find their brother?_

 _I don't want to bother Flowey and ask him the same stupid questions he's heard over and over, but..._

 **"They had it coming. They spent at least four hours killing monsters and farming gold so they could stuff their big stupid face over and over!"**

 **"Won't you feel bad though when you get a soul and don't have a family anymore?"**

 **"Chara's actually got more Determination than me. They're the only ones who can load, save, and reset now,"** said Flowey looking a bit sad. **"But even if I do lose them, I'll always have you to play with Pappy! Even when I get my soul, I'll remember that you're my friend.** **I'll NEVER become one of those goody-two shoe hypocrites!"**

 _I won't make the same mistake as last time. I know now that in this world it's kill or be killed. My weakness destroyed my life once; it won't happen again._

 _I may not feel anything for you Papyrus, but you're the only person besides Chara that gets me. I know that when I DO get a soul, we'll be REAL friends. When everyone is dead and we get to the surface, I'll get a soul, and you, me, and Chara can have fun together all the time; completely free from all those weak idiots. We'll kill them all!_

Papyrus smiled warmly. Maybe things weren't all bad. It was true he would be devastated if Sans ever kicked him out of the house, but at least he had a friend who could make him laugh every once in awhile. Some people didn't even have THAT much.

 _I should count my blessings, not just focus on one._

 _I love Sans with all my heart, but there are other people out there, like Flowey, who are just like me. People who will like and accept me. I just need to find them._

The two headed towards Snowdin leaving Hotland behind, Flowey dancing excitedly and Papyrus humming, feeling a little better.

When they arrived at Snowdin they searched for a secluded place and settled down to eat. Papyrus choose the area with the hidden button puzzle and sat against a pine tree crossing his legs. Flowey uncoiled himself from Papyrus's arm and sat down on his knee, reaching for a doughnut with a vine.

 **"My brother told me you and he had a little chat today..."** said Papyrus taking a sip of his cider.

 **"I didn't want you doing anything stupid (munch) when Chara got here. If Smiley Trashbag blabbed and started being an idiot jerk, you might (gulp) have done something** **regretful.** **"**

Papyrus took another sip of cider, and looked up at Flowey with a serious expression. **"By 'regretful' I assume you mean self-destructive. Is Chara going to be a problem in Snowdin?"**

 **"I was hoping you could look the other way as they come through here..."** said Flowey meekly. He knew Papyrus protected Snowdin and that he could kill Chara just as easily as he could kill Flowey.

 **"Well technically it's not my job to stop humans from going on murderous rampages. I'm not a member of the Royal Guard, you see."**

Flowey smiled brightly, his eyes filling with hope. **"You'll leave Chara alone?! Really?! I knew I could count on you, Pappy!"**

Papyrus closed his eyes and held up a finger, signaling for Flowey to wait. **"I will let them live on two conditions."**

Flowey swallowed the last of his doughnut, listening carefully.

 **"One, they are not to harm Sans,"** said Papyrus. **"Two, they are not to harm you."** He took another sip of cider finishing it off.

 **"That's it?"** asked Flowey hopefully.

 **"That's it,"** replied Papyrus with a smile.

 **"Wowie! Thanks Papyrus!"**

 **"Of course. The Great Papyrus is a wonderful friend, yes?"**

The skeleton grabbed a doughnut and began to eat, as Flowey looked at him thoughtfully.

 _Could I tell him my plan? He wouldn't object right? He has no reason to..._

 **"Chara's gonna kill everybody in the Underground and grab Asgore's soul so we can get to the surface, you know. They're gonna grab us the souls we need and then free us."**

 _I hope._

 **"So I figured. I do wonder why they can't simply take Her Highness's soul though. Is she really that strong?"**

 **"I don't know...I...can't remember ever seeing Chara in the Underground."**

 _Even though they know how to farm for gold._

 _They've been here before...why can't I remember?_

 _Even if they kill me, all they have to do is reset and I'll come back with all my memories._

 _I'm here, so why don't I remember?_

Papyrus narrowed his eyes, suspicious. **"That's odd. How do they know how to farm for gold properly if they've never been here?"**

 **"How should I know?!"** asked Flowey frustrated. He got off Papyrus's leg and kicked the snow. He didn't like not having answers, and he didn't like not liking having answers. He wanted to live a normal life, but if he couldn't handle not knowing everything before hand...

Maybe Papyrus had been right about the future being hard on someone like him. How was he suppose to live normally if he couldn't make decisions?

 **"DAMNIT!"** yelled Flowey angrily, **"DAMNIT! DAMNIT! DAMNIT!"** He picked up leaf fulls of snow and threw them at the tree beside them, while Papyrus watched in silence.

 _This isn't fair! I'M supposed to be God of this world! ME! Why am I as clueless as all these other idiots all of a sudden?!_

 **"WHY THE HELL DON'T I REMEMBER ANYTHING?! WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?!"** He continued pelting the tree until he was out of breath, and plopped down in the snow; his head hung low as if he were wilting.

 **"Perhaps you should tell me everything you DO remember. I may be able to assist you if you'll allow it."**

 **"I don't need your help!"** growled Flowey.

 **"Regardless, tell me what you know. I want to figure this out as well."**

 **"Why should I tell you anything?"** asked Flowey. **"It's none of your business anyway!"** Flowey threw an empty jar of cider against the tree, smashing it into pieces.

 **"Enough! You are not a child, you're an adult. Act like one and we maybe be able to solve this-"**

 **"I AM A CHILD!"** yelled Flowey.

 **"Nyeh?"** Papyrus leaned back in surprise. He knew Flowey was sometimes childish, but he never saw him as a kid in a striped shirt...

 **"Someone...turned you into a plant?"**

 _Who would be so cruel to a child?!_

 _Irredeemable!_

Flowey covered his face with his leaves. **"*sigh*You know that story about the Royal Family? The one with the prince and human that died?"**

 **"Yes..."**

 **"I'm the prince,"** said Flowey.

 **"You're also alive,"** said Papyrus, gathering up their trash.

 **"I KNOW I'M ALIVE! I don't know HOW, but I woke up in a flower garden after I died on it. I woke up as a flower with no soul."**

 _Someone did this to the PRINCE?!_

 **"Why didn't you tell your parent's? Why DON'T you tell your parents? I'm sure Asgore will give you a soul if he knows you're his son."**

Flowey laughed bitterly. **"You think so? Let me tell you what happened when I asked for a soul; I BEGGED to have ONE, just one, and he told me no."**

 **"What?!"**

 **"He said he needed them to free everyone, and that I would just have to wait. Sweet guy, ain't he?"**

 **"Your mother-"**

 **"My mother said she couldn't go back to Dad because she was in exile, even THOUGH she exiled HERSELF!"**

 **"..."**

 **"I wasn't the kid she wanted, so she REPLACED me. She didn't even look for me when I ran away! *sniff*"**

Papyrus pulled out his hanker chief and handed it to Flowey.

 **"I don't want your stupid hanker chive !"** exclaimed Flowey, taking the hanker chive.

Flowey blew his nose somehow and handed it back to Papyrus.

 _That's not what it was for..._

 **"I decided...that living without feeling love was pointless. I...erased myself from existence...but then I got scared and reset. I wound up back at my Save Point."** said Flowey softly.

 **"How did you reset while nonexistent?"** asked Papyrus confused.

 **"I don't know! All I know is I reset and no one remembered me. I KNOW I can remember Chara's resets, because they reset before and I remembered."**

 **"You said you didn't remember Chara."**

 **"It WAS Chara, and it wasn't. Chara was in there, but...it's hard to explain!"**

 _Okay...so if I'm understanding this correctly...a kid had Chara in them and now Chara is in control._

 _How does Chara know how to farm though if the human never killed before? How did Chara even come to be?_

 **"A human that had Chara in them...I don't understand completely, but it's clear that you two aren't the same. Chara or whoever has a soul and someone inside them, you do not,"** said Papyrus holding his chin. **"Perhaps because it's two people's Determination working together as one, they have a power you don't?"**

 **"It doesn't matter what power they have. If anything changes in this world, I'll remember it-"**

 **"As long as you have a Save Point,"** Papyrus interrupted.

 **"R-right. But they can't erase my Save Point, it's where I started out and I wouldn't be able to come back if I died and it wasn't there,"** explained Flowey.

 **"What if...instead of resetting the day, they turn it off and on?"**

 **"What?"**

 **"You can erase everything that happened since you've saved. What if they can erase everything since they've saved and then turn it back on?"**

 **"That's a Reset idiot."**

 **"No! I mean, erase the whole world and then put it back. Like...reset the save points. Reset your save point all the way back to when you first woke up."**

 **"Then I wouldn't remember Chara's other resets, but I do."**

 **"Just not this time."**

 **"Not this time."**

 **"*Sigh*"**

 **"Isn't Smiley a scientist or something? Go get your nerd brother to help."**

 **"I'm not sure he'd want to help..."**

 **"Why not?"**

 **"He went into the lab."**

 **"So-oh. Oh crap. THAT lab,"** said Flowey with wide eyes. He knew what was in THAT lab. Although he'd never seen the entire thing, Papyrus had told stories. Horror stories.

 **"Yeah. I don't think he'll even want to see me,"** said Papyrus sadly.

 **"Awww, that's nothing a threat or two won't fix!"** exclaimed Flowey cheerfully, coiling around Papyrus's arm again. **"Let's go for a walk..."**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen:**

 **Daddy Issues**

* * *

Sans struggled to catch his breath as he dashed into the nearest room. Looking up he noticed it was just a bathroom...a really weird bathroom that had only a shower at the far end of a hallway. Wasn't even a room.

 _Someone had a real boner for narrow hallways._

The shower was placed oddly just like everything else in the lab, so of course he had to check it out.

 _If there's no secret room behind this curtain/shower, I'm gonna lose my shit._

Sans didn't even get close to the shower before he heard a voice.

 _ **"Look behind you..."**_

 **"REALLY?"**

 _ **"Look behind you..."**_

 **"i'll pass, thanks."**

 _ **"Look behind you..."**_

 **"nope."**

Sans continued forward, but stopped when he noticed a figure similar to the silly putty guy wiggling back and forth.

 _I'm not looking behind me._

As he took a few more steps forward, the wiggling sped up.

 _I'm not going forward either._

Sans began walking backward feeling for the door. When he felt the knob he gave it a turn, only to find that it was locked.

 **"nothing a gaster blaster won't cure."**

Summoning a Gaster Blaster Sans positioned it behind him and fired.

 _BLOOSH!_

The room filled with smoke, choking Sans, and causing him to pull his shirt over his mouth in a vain attempt to filter the air. He backed up attempting to get through the hole in the door, but unfortunately there WAS no hole. He scanned the entire door with his hand for any indication that he had done SOMETHING, but found nothing. The door hadn't a scratch.

 _What the hell?!_

 _ **"Look behind you..."**_

 _This is a bad time._

He tried the doorknob again, hoping something magical would happen to open it, but to no avail. Slumping against the door, he hugged his knees, laying his skull upon them, and closing his eyes tight. The smoke from the blast stung his eyes and made it hard to breath; his shirt had proven worthless. He waited for five minutes, ten minutes, twenty, but the smoke wouldn't clear up.

 _I should've listened to Pap..._

 _I'm gonna die here._

 _ **"Look behind you..."**_

Whoever was wiggling back and forth didn't seem bothered by the smoke at all. For a moment Sans wondered if it was because they had no lungs, but then he remembered neither did he and he WAS having trouble breathing.

 _That's bullshit, but there's nothing I can do about it._

 _Maybe someone will look for me. Maybe if I'm gone for a long time, Papyrus will get worried and show up. I just have to keep breathing..._

Thirty minutes, forty minutes, an hour...

 _I just have to keep breathing..._

Another hour, two hours, three had now passed. Sans was getting more than a little lightheaded. It was difficult to move or even open his eyes. He lay down on the floor and tilted his head toward the door, hoping to get some fresh air from the other room, only to find that the one he was in, was air tight.

That's why the smoke wasn't dissipating.

That's why he was feeling lightheaded and lethargic.

He was suffocating.

 _Why does a bathroom even have a door like this?!_

Sans crawled towards the wiggling creature on his hands and knees, ice running through the blood in his bones. It would probably kill him, but that was better than asphyxiation.

 _ **"Look behind you..."**_

Sans glared at the figure defiantly.

 **"never."**

 _ **"Look behind you..."**_

Sans pulled himself up the rim of the tub and threw a weak punch at the wiggling figure.

His hand hit only air as the curtain was thrown back without warning and Sans fell into the tub.

 **"HAH!"**

His hands caught the other side of the tub, keeping him from smashing his head on the bottom. He put his mouth to the faucet drawing in air from the pipes.

 _I just have to stay like this until someone shows up to check on me or the Almalgamates or...or..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Or I could teleport out of the room._

Teleporting out of the room, Sans found himself in another with various tapes and an old tv.

 _I hate myself._

He took the time to draw in some much needed air, and decided to browse the videos on the shelves.

 _Alrighty, let's see if anything here says Papyrus or Gaster or something..._

 _Asriel's first steps,_

 _Asriel's first Baa,_

 _Asriel's first Base Baa game, heh heh I like that one._

 _Asriel,_

 _Asriel and Chara,_

 _Chara,_

 _Chara,_

 _Are these all in alphabetical order or something? I don't even know who these people are..._

Sans decided to check the other self.

 _Experiments 1-5_

 _History Test, Science Test, Social Studies Test, Mathematical Test, English Test, Psychology Test,_

 _Looks like these are all for some kid. Probably being homeschooled or something._

 _Wait..._

 _Psychological test N.1,_

 _Precision Experiment,_

 _Precision Training,_

 _Unarmed Training,_

 _Armed Training,_

 _Explosive Training,_

 _Psychological Test N.2,_

 _Interrogation Training,_

 _What is this?_

Sans scanned the videos again. The further down the shelf he went, the more disturbing the video titles became. He grabbed the first video that seemed strange and popped it into the VCR. Turning on the century old television, he waited as the screen lit up and an image appeared.

It looked like a small machine, laser based if Sans had to guess. He knew his way around complex machines like that one. He was however a little uneasy when he saw the table under the laser had leather straps built in. Too small to hold in place most things lasers were designed to cut.

His eyes grew wide as he saw Gaster appear on screen moving towards a metal door. He noticed he couldn't hear his footsteps in the video and was about to adjust the sound, when he saw his brother in a green hospital gown get dragged out of the room with the door, struggling and apparently screaming.

 _What is this?_

Gaster grabbed Papyrus by the arm roughly and dragged him over towards the machine. Pointing to the straps, he gave instructions Sans couldn't hear, and began to start up the laser.

 _What...is this?_

Sans put a hand to his mouth as he watched his crying brother strap his hand down, trembling violently. The laser turned on and the tv turned off.

Sans couldn't watch anymore.

 _This_ is what Papyrus hadn't wanted him to find, and it probably wasn't all of it.

 _Why did Dad do that?!_

Pressing the eject button, he gathered the tape and stuffed it into his hoodie, zipping it up slightly. He looked at the other tapes fearful of what might be on them. The tape he had watched was Precision Experiment. What was Precision Training?

Sans put the video in and watched.

This video had sound to it. Probably because it involved less screaming, Sans guessed.

 _"Ten more."_

 **"But my hands hurt..."**

 _"If you don't want your brother to hurt; you'll do as I say. Ten more."_

Papyrus reluctantly raised a hand and summoned an orange bone attack. He sent it flying at a round wooden target, splintering it to pieces.

He had a large circular hole in each hand.

Sans took out the tape, and put in the very first video in on the shelf, Experiments 1-5.

It showed Papyrus using blue attacks, orange attacks, Gaster Blasters, his font, and strangely enough, wingding's hand attacks...on monsters tied to chairs.

Each experiment had the same conversation. Papyrus would refuse to do a test, Gaster would threaten to kill Sans, and Papyrus would perform the tests. Sans was shaking with rage by the time the video was over; his eye glowing a fiery blue.

He took the video out and put in the History Test video. He needed to see _all_ of them. He needed to know exactly what happened to his brother, he needed to know _everything._

This tape had Papyrus's hands nailed to a grill. Every time Gaster asked a question and he gave a wrong answer, the heat would be turned up. Sans assumed every subject test tape was like that and didn't bother watching more. He stuffed them all into his hoodie.

The tapes that were the worst were ironically the ones where Papyrus wasn't harmed at all, the Psychological Test tapes, where his brother merely answered questions given to him. Sans became more miserable with each tape he watched. In the tapes his brother transformed from a scared little kid with sad eyes and healthy bones, to a sadistic teen with cold eyes and scarred, burnt hands. An innocent child who constantly asked to see his brother turned into a weapon who truly believed he was worthless without a purpose. A murderous machine that worked towards one goal without sleep.

However, that goal was apparently not Gaster's.

 _"Why do you live Papyrus?"_

 **"To protect my brother."**

 _"That's the wrong answer."_

 **"It's the only one you're getting."**

Sans shut of the video and put all the tapes in his hoodie.

In a way, he was proud of his little brother. Sans didn't think he himself be able to stay strong in a situation like that. Gaster would have broken him in no time.

It warmed his heart to know that Papyrus had made his sole purpose to protect him, but it hurt too. Gaster had twisted his mind into caring only for Sans and Sans alone, though unintentional.

 _What WAS his intention?_

Leaving the room, Sans returned to the area with the mirrors. He recognized the table with the straps from the flower room. His brother's room was behind one of these mirrors.

Behind him.

It was difficult for Sans to look at his reflection. He was so stupid, and selfish, and blind, he didn't pay attention to what was happening around him at all. While Papyrus was suffering and being tortured in another room, Sans had worked hard to help his brother's tormentor. He had spent his childhood doing what he loved, while his little brother had spent it screaming.

He wanted to break the mirror into tiny shards and then smash the shards, but he restrained himself. He carefully took the mirror down from its place and stood in front of the metal door Papyrus had spent his childhood behind.

How many times had his brother cowered in a corner dreading the sound of this door's metal hinges? How many times had he peeked out the small window dreaming of escape?

Sans wiped the tears from his eyes and went in.

The room was as dark and dreary as anywhere else in the lab, but this place had a depressing air to it. There was no bed, no toys, no clothes, and no decorations. There were only books. Books everywhere. Science, Math, History, Psychology, everything Papyrus needed to know in order to avoid having his hands burnt away to nothing. The books were completely worn out due to excessive use; some coming apart at the seams.

 _These are human books. This is human history and science, etc. Why'd Gaster make him study this stuff?_

Looking through the stacks of books would normally had been fun, but not after what he'd seen. Still, the wiggly creature wanted him to check this place out very badly. There had to be something here.

Sans flipped through every book he found until he found a pile that had been hollowed out. One had an empty bottle of water, and another had a notebook; there was one with crayons hidden inside too.

 **"quite the smuggler little bro, what'd you cut these with?"**

 **"I didn't."**

Sans dropped the books in shock, scattering paper everywhere.

 **"pap..."**

Papyrus picked up the notebook and dusted it off smiling. **"You've found my old room, impressive."**

Sans couldn't look him in the eye.

 _What is he doing here?!_

 _Oh right, I've been gone for hours haven't I?_

 _He asked me to do one thing, and I couldn't do it. Now he's in a place he probably has nightmares about because I wanted to be selfish._

Papyrus sat in a corner motioned for Sans to sit with him, which he did without question. Turning to a specific page, Papyrus handed the notebook to his brother.

 **"Will you read to me?"**

 _Read to him? He still wants me to read to him?_

 **"heh. sure pap..."**

 _He's up to something, isn't he?_

 _Not that I don't deserve whatever he's planning._

Papyrus drew Sans into his lap and waited expectantly for him to begin.

 **"dear papy, you're the best little bro in the whole world, and i love you a lot-ohhh...fuck you, papyrus..."**

 _Freakin' knew it._

 **"Do the voices!"**

 **"i can't read this bro...i can't..."**

 **"But you always read to me..."**

 **"papyrus..."**

 **"You're gonna make me cry Sans..."**

 **"Yeah! Don't be a DICK Sans!"** said a shrill voice.

Flowey popped out of Papyrus's battle body winking and sticking out his tongue.

 **"ohhh, hey...sup' buttercup?"**

 **"Nyeh hee ha ha!"**

 **"Don't call me that!"**

Sans smiled, his tears already beginning to dry. **"you want me to leaf you alone?"**

 **"Grrr..."**

 **"Don't say anything Flowey...he feeds off your cringe."**

 **"Aren't you supposed to be reading? I want my story!"** yelled Flowey moving his leaves up and down.

 **"Yeah! Read us the story Sans!"**

 **"Do it slaaave!"**

Sans turned back to the page. **"i know you're really sad cause' you don't got any toys, so you can have my action figure..."**

 **"I'm gonna puke. This story sucks!"**

 **"You're not doing the voice Sans! Do the baby Sans voice!"**

 **"baby voice? seriously?"**

Papyrus put on his pouty face.

 **"Eww..."**

 **"alright, i'll do a...baby..voice."**

Papyrus clapped his hands happily.

 **"i went and gotted you some water too. you gots to stay hyder-rated when you're savin' the world."**

 **"Hee heh!"**

Sans brow furrowed in confusion. **"saving the world? what am i talking about pap?"**

 **"I was trained to fight humans and do a bunch of secret agent nonsense, so you were under the impression that I was a super hero."**

Sans stared at Papyrus, his mouth agape. **"i KNEW about all this?!"** The smaller skeleton's eyes filled with tears and he put his face in his hands, ashamed beyond belief.

 **"auugh..."**

He was garbage. Such cowardly garbage. He let his little brother suffer for years, just so HE wouldn't get hurt.

Sans sat in his brother's lap crying silently; his tears staining the paper.

 _I left him here. I left him here and brought him stuff so I wouldn't feel guilty. I didn't even TRY to save him...I didn't even try..._

 **"You knew I was being trained, not abused. I told you nothing and apparently Gaster did the same."**

Sans shook his head. **"i could have helped you. i could have gotten you outta here..."**

 **"And if something went wrong? Try to remember, we were only children,"** said Papyrus quietly.

 **"that's no excuse. i wasn't worth what you went through."**

Fear gripped Papyrus; a type he didn't like. THIS is what he had been afraid of.

 _Not worth it?_

 _Sans is everything to me!_

 _Is..is he going to be okay?_

 _I don't want to lose him..._

But he knew he would eventually.

Even though Sans' font didn't work at full strength, he still had the nature of a Comic Sans Font. His conscious and sense of integrity was as strong as it was merciless, and he was a perfectionist.

The Comic Sans Font's were miserable and they had a tendency to end their lives through suicide. It had been that way for generations. They had such extraordinary power, they beat themselves up when they couldn't use it to help others all the time EVERY time. One mistake could and would haunt them for years and they'd hide their pain with a smile. Being incredibly lazy, they liked doing things right the first time so they wouldn't have to do it again, but when things didn't go well...

 **"god i'm scum. i'm the scummiest piece of scum that's ever scummed up the scummy earth...i'm sorry pappy. i should have tried harder to help you."**

A lot of people saw Comic Sans as a chaotic god that enjoyed wanton destruction, but that simply wasn't true. They couldn't help it and they hated it. Power didn't ALWAYS corrupt; sometimes it destroyed. The Font's self-loathing always ate them alive and killed them.

That was their fate.

That was SANS' fate and it tore Papyrus up inside.

 **"i'm so freaking worthless. why'd you even bother pap? i'm gonna die anyway. eventually someone or something's going to kill me. i'm not worth anyone's time-"**

 **"That's not your decision to make! You were worth everything! You were the reason I tried so hard..."** said Papyrus. **"I wanted...to protect you when I grew up. I wanted to be strong so you'd live longer."**

Sans stood up, angrily.

This was wrong.

HE was the big brother, not Papyrus! He was suppose to protect HIM, not the other way around! Having your little brother watch over you like a fragile doll was embarrassing! He may have only one HP and AT, but the title of 'Big Brother' was HIS.

 **"Should I leave?"**

 **"I'M the big brother, not you! i should have been the one protecting YOU!"** shouted Sans, pointing at Papyrus.

 **"YOU'RE NOT STRONG ENOUGH!"** yelled Papyrus, standing up as well, **"You're-you're not strong enough..."**

Sans eye glowed fiercely while he glared venomously at his brother. **"you've no idea how strong i am. i can protect myself; i've BEEN protecting myself for over nineteen years,"** said Sans through clenched teeth.

 **"I'm gonna go..."** said Flowey.

 **"Have you?!** _ **I**_ **was the one, AM the one, drawing attention away from you,** _ **I**_ **am the one who's kept this underground prison safe! If you didn't have me, you would NOT be here; that I promise you,"** said Papyrus seething.

It was true, the Underground used to be a den of crime. There was a time where monsters would die every day and no one would bat an eye.

But that didn't mean Sans wasn't still insulted.

Whether or not he was once alone in the world didn't matter, it FELT like he was. He truly believed he was all he had and that he couldn't depend on anybody. He had learned when the Underground was still a mess, not to trust anyone but himself. Papyrus had been his kid, and he, a single parent, trying to raise him on his own. There were times when he had wanted to give up due to the stress alone, but he still got up every morning to take care of rent, go to work, and encourage his brother.

 **"i worked hard too, papyrus! i earned the money for rent, and did everything i could to make you happy!"**

 **"** _ **I**_ **am the one working hard to set you free so you can see those precious stars of yours! I either wash blood or dust off my clothes, every day for YOU!"**

 **"that doesn't mean i'm weaker than you, pal! you may protect me physically, but i protect you emotionally! if it weren't for me, you'd be dead too!"** yelled Sans.

 **"What? You think I'd jump off a cliff somewhere if something were to happen to you? I protect you because I love you, you fool! Not because I need you!"**

 **"you don't need me...? heh...then what am i even doing here pap?"** asked Sans with a sad smile.

 _What am I even doing here?_

Papyrus lowered his head, the shadows of the lab obscuring his face. **"I was hoping you'd stay because you loved me too...*sniff*"**

 _Oh shit..._

Papyrus held his arms and began to sob. **"Do you really not want to be here Sans? Have I really made you so miserable? Do you hate me that much, Brother?"**

Sans rubbed his arms, trying to comfort him. **"chill bro, i don't hate you. why would i ever hate you?"** asked Sans, drawing Papyrus into a hug.

 _WHY does he think I hate him so much? Everything was either Gaster's fault or mine. He had nothing to do with anything and he's smart enough to know that, so I don't get it._

 _Is this...another trick?_

 **"Because *sob* because..."**

 _Yeah it is. He doesn't have anything to say. He's just trying to distract me. He really is the Lying Font isn't he? Heh heh heh..._

 **"*Sob* I'm sorry...I really do love you. I didn't mean to *sniff* make you feel worthless. You mean so much to me Brother..."**

 _Whatever, it doesn't matter if it's a trick; he's trying to make me feel better._

 **"*hic*errmmm..."**

 **"shhh, shhh...relax pappy. it's alright. i'm sorry kay'? i'm not miserable. i have you, don't i? what's better than living with the great papyrus?"**

 **"Mmm..."**

 **"it's true that sometimes life can be stressful, but i would NEVER abandon you...on purpose."**

 _He's a liar and a killer, but he's MY killer. I can help him, I know I can. I can be useful._

Papyrus nodded, hugging Sans back tightly, his head buried in his shoulder. They stayed like that for awhile until Papyrus noticed his brother felt a little less soft than usual. **"Brother, what's in your hoodie?"** asked Papyrus wiping his eyes.

Sans averted his.

 **"horror videos,"** he said curtly.

He planned to put them all in his own lab back home where no one would ever find them and lock the place up forever.

 **"Ooooh! I love those! Can we watch some together when we get home?"** asked Papyrus, back in his little bro persona.

 **"i...don't..think you'll like these bro."**

He wanted to lock them away and burn the picture he had of the father he had mistakenly loved.

 **"Nonsense! I'm a Horror Font you know. I love horror films,"** said Papyrus confidently. He placed his hands on his hips looking and finally feeling proud of what he was.

 **"oh yeah?"**

 **"Yeah. They're funny...to Horror Fonts anyway. I don't know about you,"** said Papyrus shyly, **"but I hope we can find at least a few things we both enjoy."** The Horror Font was overjoyed that his smaller brother was so accepting of him. For so long people had called Papyrus evil...long before he was even _born._

Humans, Monsters, and even some Normal Fonts called his kind a bunch of mistakes. They had used the very thing that had made Horror Fonts special against them to destroy them. Combining their efforts to strike fear into one another, they spurred each other into joining forces in order to eradicate his people a long time ago.

 _That doesn't matter. It's not my responsibility to take revenge, and unlike Gaster I have a family to protect._

Papyrus had long since forgiven Asgore for his cowardice and attempted genocide of Fonts, but he had still always been ashamed of being a Horror. Just because Asgore felt bad about what he did, didn't mean he didn't still believe Horror Fonts were evil. Papyrus still saw pity in the king's eyes whenever he delivered a soul. Another reason he had taken it upon himself to protect the Underground was to prove to himself that he and his people were important to the world, had a place in it.

 **"i heard you say something about that back at the dump. something about horror fonts and normal fonts? i didn't really get it."**

Papyrus was glad his brother had taken an interest in their species and didn't shy away from him simply because he was a Horror. Sans loved him for who he was, without even knowing WHAT he was. That was proof enough that Papyrus was capable of being loved.

 **"Horror Fonts are skeletons who love spooky things, and use fear to paralyze humans before eating them,"** he said getting into the role of 'teacher'.

 **"wh-what?"**

Sans wasn't sure he heard correctly.

 _Eat humans? The strongest species out there?_

 **"Indeed! We enjoy blood, violence, scaring others, being scared, and most of us have a dark sense of humor-"**

 **"you paralyze humans with fear and...eat..them?"**

 **"Correct. Probably the main reason we were purged. My people used to be at the top of the food chain, before the war."**

 **"..."**

 _Papyrus can eat humans._

 _Wow._

 _Are all skeletons like that?_

 **"Are you alright brother?"**

 _Am I like that?_

 **"uh, yeah. i was just picturing you eating a child."**

 **"Nyeh heh heh..."** Papyrus laughed creepily, and put on a disturbing grin. **"They're delicious Sans...would you like to know what happened the that one human's innards?"**

 _Oh god._

 **"don't do that."**

 **"Apologies Sans. Being spooky's in my nature..."** said Papyrus refusing to remove his deranged smile.

 **"that explains a lot actually. a whole lot."**

 _Paps HAS always creeped me out a little. Some of the things he says doesn't make sense, he likes dangerous things, he rarely sleeps, and the way he laughs...he sounds like a witch._

 **"I'm sorry about the nightmares,"** said Papyrus sheepishly.

 **"i'm still not scared of you."**

 **"No, I mean the constant nightmares you get. That's my fault...sorry."**

 _Oh so that's HIS fault! He's the reason I get nightmares all the time!_

 **"ha ha ha! you little jerk! giving your big brother nightmares...what a horror-ible thing to do."**

 **"*Sigh*"**

 _I don't mind his puns all that much, but does he really have to do that 'Big Brother' thing? I like being creeped out, but this is a weird fetish..._

 _It makes me wonder what he dreams about._

Sans laughed and looked down at his slippers. He had a few more questions, but this one he was sensitive about. **"can i ask you a question?"**

 **"I don't see why not."** said Papyrus putting on a grin.

 **"what...happened to gaster? to the people in the lab? did you kill them all?"**

He knew Papyrus had to of done it, but he needed to know the details. He lost almost all of his memories of Gaster when he disappeared and he had been losing more ever since.

He wanted to know why.

 **"You know how Gaster created the Core?"**

Sans nodded.

 **Well, one day I noticed Gaster had been drawing up some blueprints for it. He made the mistake of leaving them out."** Papyrus's smile turned devious, almost cruel.

 _Oh boy..._

 **"I should thank you Brother. You actually helped me out quite a bit. You smuggled the blueprints to me inside a hollowed out book,"** said Papyrus giggling.

 _Ah...Papyrus changed the Core's blueprints._

 **"you changed your handwriting to-"**

 **"Nyeh heh heh heh! I erased the calculation he needed *pfft!* AND PUT THE WRONG ONE!"** Papyrus burst out laughing. He bent over holding his stomach and shut his eyes tight as his laughter shook him. Sans was feeling a bit shaken himself.

 _Whoa...Pap changed his handwriting to Wingdings and fooled Gaster._

 _Gaster knew his font wouldn't work on him, so Papyrus changed his handwriting normally WITHOUT using it._

 **"HA HA HA HA!"**

Sans backed away cautiously.

 **"HE NEVER NOTICED A THING! NYEH HA HA HA HA!"**

 _Jesus..._

 _These voices in the halls...are they...?_

 **"The whole THING went wrong, and he fell into the Core!"** exclaimed Papyrus, laughing madly.

 _He didn't die though did he Papyrus? None of them died._

 _They got shattered across time and space._

 _The magic the Core stored and was gonna convert into electricity, screwed with the scientists...and everyone else._

 _They're still here, but suffering in another dimension watching everyone forget about them._

 **"..."**

 **"Isn't that hilarious?! Undone by his own children! HA HA HA HA!"** Papyrus grinned at him, his face shrouded in lunacy.

 _Did Papyrus know that would happen?_

 _He said 'calculation' not 'calculations'. Meaning he only changed one thing when he could have changed everything._

Sans looked up at his brother with wide eyes.

 _He knew what he was doing._

 **"br-bro?"**

 **"Yes, Brother?"**

 _I'm scared of you now._


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen:**

 **Problem Child**

* * *

Sans and Papyrus decided to walk home, rather than teleport.

They both knew that a serious discussion was going to be held, but neither of them wanted to start it. Their next conversation was going to be life changing, that much was certain. It was such a delicate matter, one wrong sentence would spell disaster for their relationship and future.

 _He's not gonna stop killing monsters. Eventually he's going to move on to ANYONE he deems is a threat to me. Criminal or not._

They traversed Hotland and then Snowdin in silence, glancing at one another and meeting eyes every once in a while.

Sans held his brother's heart in his hands, and they both knew it. What he said next would determine whether or not he'd have a brother tomorrow.

 _I need to tap into the ol' sensitivity bone. I gotta be calm and listen to him, no name calling and no cursing._

 _I can't believe I lost it so badly in that cave..._

They reached the door to their house and Sans unlocked it. Walking into the dark house, and sitting on the couch, Sans motioned for Papyrus to join him.

Papyrus obeyed. Sitting on his knees with his hands in his lap and faced towards his brother, he waited silently as if preparing to be judged.

 _I'm not judging you pap, I'm helping you..._

He sat stoic still, his gaze locked with Sans. His head was under a guillotine, but he looked fearless, guiltless, _proud_.

Sans had never seen his brother look this intense before. Honestly, it was more than a little intimidating. It felt like their roles had somehow switched, like _he_ was the younger brother and Papyrus was the older and wiser one.

 _He's acting._

Sans imitated his brother's stance, and ignoring the stream of dread flowing through him, began. **"alright. first off, i'm not mad at you, but you know this killing has to stop. it's dangerous and people are catching on."**

Papyrus crossed his arms, looking at him indignantly. He didn't say anything, but his body language spoke volumes. Sans could feel himself starting to sweat.

 _Just keep going..._

 **"from what i've gathered, and i'm not saying i'm correct, the main reason you're killing others is because you're afraid they'll kill me. am i right so far?"**

Papyrus nodded, saying nothing.

 _Welp, so far so good. Problem addressed. Reason addressed. Now we just have to solve this thing._

 **"okay, soo we've been livin' here in snowdin for who knows how long. nothing's happened so far, cause' there's no criminals in snowdin. can we agree on that?"**

Papyrus shook his head. **"I've killed burglars before. Humans still come from the Ruins and kill monsters while they sleep."**

Sans put a hand up to his mouth, thinking hard.

 _Damn, what do I say to that?_

After a moment of thought his eyes brightened slightly. **"would you consider sticking to criminals you find in snowdin?"** This would keep the people safe and they would blame the dogs for the deaths instead of his brother.

 _Greater Dog and Lesser Dog don't speak so it'll be easy. Everything SHOULD work out. If Undyne becomes a problem, I'll take care of her myself._

 **"Only if you plan to quit your job at the Resort,"** said Papyrus unknowingly dashing Sans' hopes to the ground.

 _Great._

 _Well, that explains why he's targeting the Resort at least. I work there at night and that's when the dirtbags appear. I friggen' NEED that job, too..._

Sans pinched the space between his eyes, frustrated.

 _What if I...?_

 _Could I ask Papyrus? Maybe he has a solution. He doesn't want to get caught either I imagine._

 **"how would you solve this problem papyrus?"** asked Sans, hoping for a miracle. He was all out of ideas and he didn't want to just TELL Papyrus to seek therapy.

It was rude.

 **"Nyeh heh heh heh heh!"** Papyrus smiled confidently, placing his gloved hands on his hips. **"If I can become a Royal Guard, I can kill as much as I want and it'll be perfectly legal. I've already struck a deal with Undyne."**

Sans groaned.

 **"This one's legit. If I bring her a human soul, she WILL make me a guard."**

 **"you're sure?"**

 **"She'd better or we're done."**

 _I'll wring her pretty little neck._

 _I'm sick of her nonsense..._

 **"if you wind up done, then what? kill undyne and the rest of the guards so asgore will hire you by default?"**

 **"That's a great idea Sans!"**

 _Whoops._

 **"I can get rid of the bone loving dogs, and then Undyne will have no choice but to hire me! Yes...yes..."** Papyrus wrung his gloved hands together like a cliché' movie villain.

 _Shit shit shit shit!_

 **"wait bro, don't-"**

Papyrus held up a hand. **"I won't have any part in it Sans. There won't be any need. We're going to have a visitor tomorrow according to Flowey. Nyeh heh heh..."**

 **"a visitor...?"** Sans didn't like the sound of that. If they were anything like Papyrus's OTHER friend...

 **"A violent visitor,"** Papyrus continued.

 _Oh boy..._

 **"uhhh..."**

 **"I've been asked to look the other way, and I plan to as long as they don't harm you and Flowey. They should take care of the dogs and all our problems will be solved! Heh heh heh..."** Papyrus laughed to himself a while longer and then paused. **"Although I DO worry for Undyne; she won't just allow this to happen. I'll have to call her up and distract her or something...FEAR NOT DEAR BROTHER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE THIS UNDER CONTROL!"**

Sans sweating became worse. Undyne was one of the toughest monsters in the Underground. She was head of the Royal Guard for a reason.

 _What BEAST did papyrus make friends with this time, the devil?_

 _..._

 _..._

 _Oh god, what if it's the devil?_

Sans didn't think his brother worshipped Satan, but after everything that had happened today and listening to Papyrus in general, he couldn't rule it out.

 _Is lying bro's only power? Can he summon demons and shit?_

 _Those books on Egypt I found at the dump said that the humans there worshipped all kinds of gods and stuff..._

 _Does Papyrus have the power to summon those things? The name "Papyrus" comes from Egypt..._

 **"wh-what makes you think this 'visitor' can kill any of them?"** asked Sans nervously. He was drenched now. He would have to change his clothes all over again.

Papyrus laughed mischieviously, putting on a terrifying smile.

 _It's the devil._

 _Papyrus made friends with the devil._

 **"This Human has a special power dear Brother..."** said Papyrus ominously. The frightening aura he gave off filled the room, but Sans felt more confused than afraid.

 **"a human? it's not the devil?"**

Papyrus stared at him quizzically. **"What? No! Where's your mind at Sans?"**

The comedian let out a loud sigh of relief and put a hand to his chest to still his pounding soul.

 _It's not the devil._

 _Of course it's not the devil._

 _What's my problem? I never jump to conclusions! This isn't like me at all..._

 **"Sans? Are you alright? You've been...strange today. I'm extremely worried about your physical and mental health-"**

 **"i'm fine, papyrus."**

 **"I don't think you are. Your mood swings, the things that go through your mind and come out of your mouth-"**

 **"i said i'm fine!"**

 _I'm not fine._

 _Not even close._

 **"I want to help you if I can Brother, but you have to let me. I can tell you're not well. I can SEE it Sans-"**

 **"i'm suppose to be helping you pap, let's focus on you for now."**

 _He's right though. He's right about the mood swings and everything else. How many times have I cried today, or yelled? I've thought about taking my life today at least twice...that's not healthy._

 _I'M not healthy._

 **"You're not built to handle this kind of thing like I am! We need to fix this now, before it gets out of control! I KNOW you're the big brother I know, but I'd like to keep it that way!"**

 **"i'm not going anywhere, pap. as long as you're here, i'll be here."**

 **"You should be willing to live without me. I used to be the exact same way and believe me when I say it's a scary life to live when you only have one reason to."**

 **"you're the only reason i need. if i fail to protect you then i'm a failure and deserve whatever happens to me."**

 **"That's..insane! Do you know who you sound like? You sound like ME."**

 **"you're calling ME crazy? wow, bro..."**

 **"I don't like your tone, OR what you're insinuating,"** said Papyrus narrowing his eyes, his own tone taking a turn. **"** _ **I**_ **have a valid reason to worry about you, but you however, have NO REASON to fear for my safety. Have you any idea how much LOVE I've acquired over the years? I was born and trained to fight-"**

 **"i'm more worried about your mental health,"** interrupted Sans with a smile.

 **"How DARE you..."**

He immediately regretted his decision.

 **"whoa bro, easy! EASY!"**

Papyrus grabbed Sans by the collar and brought him closer to his face. The fearsome aura in the room went berserk as the taller skeleton's eyes glowed bright orange with rage. **"I swear to every God on this green earth, if you even INSINUATE that I have a mental problem, you'd better pray to whoever it is you pray to that I don't hear it because I have no problem removing your teeth while you sleep. Do I make myself clear?"**

 **"*whimper*"**

 _CLACK!_

 **"wha?"**

Sans hung in Papyrus's grip dumbfounded as his brother kissed his cheek.

 **"Nyeh heh heh heh heh! Did I get you?"** Papyrus hugged his brother tightly, smiling happily.

The smaller skeleton was still trying to register what had actually happened. One moment he was staring into the fires of Hell, and the next his little brother was laughing and hugging him.

 **"JAPED AGAIN BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"** Papyrus looked up towards the ceiling and stuck a gloved fist into the air proudly, releasing his hold on Sans.

 **"i hate you. i** _ **fucking**_ **hate you."**

 **"Aww, you don't mean that..."**

 **"i do. i mean it. you're the worst. the worst person ever,"** said Sans staring blankly at nothing.

 **"Well I'm sure you'll change your mind once our little guest arrives."**

 _Guest?_

 _Oh right, the visitor._

 **"who is this deadly, probably horrible friend of yours?"** asked Sans curiously.

 **"I wouldn't call them a friend per say, but they ARE Flowey's sibling..."**

 _This person's gonna suck then._

 _Awesome._

 _I promised the Old Lady I'd protect any Human that falls down here too. Now I can fail for the seventh time..._

 **"If Flowey's information is correct, they have a special little power they can use to beat anyone."**

 **"a special power?"**

 _No way._

 **"Indeed. They can save a certain point in time and go back to it whenever they want and whenever they die."**

 _He's talking about the freaking time anomaly isn't he?_

 **"Brother, are you alright? You look scared..."**

 **"it's..."**

 _Should I tell him?_

Sans had wanted to keep Papyrus out of all this timeline business, but he wasn't the same brother he knew yesterday.

Maybe he could help?

 **"That human will not harm you if you stay out of its way."**

 _If they do, they're dead._

 **"papyrus, this human's-*sigh*"**

This was harder than he thought. he had spent so long dealing with everything on his own, it was hard to trust anyone but himself. Hard to give up control.

 _I need to trust him._

 **"Don't be afraid, Sans."**

 _Right._

 _I got this._

 **"this human is a time anomaly pap. they can do some real damage to this timeline if they aren't destroyed."**

 **"THIS timeline? There are others?"** Papyrus's eyes grew wide in surprise. Papyrus hadn't thought about THAT possibility. If Sans was right, Papyrus had been nowhere NEAR the right track while speaking with Flowey.

 **"yeah. gaster and i mostly did timeline research. there are a lot of timelines similar to this one, though each is slightly different. we've had reports of timelines starting and stopping-"**

 **"Stopping?"** Papyrus's eyes widened further, this time in fear.

 **"y-yeah. disappearing. we think the anomaly is causing it."**

Papyrus looked lost in thought...and angry.

 _He knows something._

 **"papyrus?"**

 **"Hmm?"**

 **"care to share?"**

 **"Share what?"**

Sans let out another groan. He really didn't want to do this right now. **"bro please...trust me,"** said Sans looking at his brother pleadingly.

 **"I don't want you involved. If this child is destroying worlds-"**

 _IS HE SERIOUS?!_

 **"i'm not weak pap! i'm freaking older than you, i can help-"**

 **"I don't want your help. I'd like you to evacuate with the others when the time comes."**

 _OH MY GOD!_

 **"i'm not going anywhere."**

 **"Don't be stubborn!"**

 **"don't be stupid! we can work together! why won't you let me help?!"**

 _This is BULLSHIT, Papyrus!_

 **"I want you safe!"**

 **"then keep me with you! i'm safest with you!"** cried Sans desperately. It felt like he was sliding down a steep slope and couldn't stop. He hadn't felt that way since he was a child arguing with Gaster...

 **"Just let me handle this!"** ordered Papyrus, frustrated.

Why couldn't Sans just let someone else take care of things for once? It was obvious that Papyrus was the strongest of them. He was BUILT to murder humans. TRAINED. Why did his brother insist on putting himself in danger?

 **"you handle everything!"**

 **"And things have gone well!"**

 **"no they haven't! those destroyed timelines? they had YOU in them. do you understand what that means papyrus? it means whatever plan you have right now is doomed to FAIL. it failed before in a different universe and it will fail this time!"** exclaimed Sans loudly.

There. He had done it. He had passed one of his greatest fears to his brother. His greatest source of depression. The knowledge that kept Sans from trying hard at anything.

Now his brother had to deal with it too.

 **"..."**

 **"you know i'm right papyrus. just work together with me okay?"**

Papyrus's anger faded, replaced with surprise.

 _Did I really fail?_

 _How?_

 _How could I have failed?_

 _Does my font...not work on someone with that power? With someone from another timeline?_

 _If that's true...what do I do? That was the only weapon in my arsenal that could've affected the little parasite!_

 **"What if we've already tried that?"**

 **"then at least we're together when we fail."**

 _WHEN we fail? Is there really no hope for us? For this world?_

 **"I don't know what to do..."**

 **"work with me, trust me. tell me what you know and i'll do the same. we can come up with a plan together."**

 _There's no point._

 _It's a waste of time._

 _No matter what we decide, another Papyrus and Sans has already tried it and failed._

 _And after we're dead, another pair of brothers will meet their end. It will continue over and over until nothing's left._

 **"Come up with a plan? Like all the others before us? Nothing we do will change anything Sans! We're doomed."** Papyrus drew his knees up to his chest looking defeated.

 **"we're doomed? ha ha, c'mon pap, that's not like you. the great papyrus never gives up. the great papyrus is optimistic and brave and hard working-"**

 **"And an idiot who wouldn't survive a friggen' camping trip without his brother."**

Sans laughed, earning a smile from Papyrus, **"he has his bad points, sure, but there's a lot of good in him too. a strength most people could only dream about. he's kind to everyone, and judges no one. he gives everyone a chance no matter their reputation, and although he obviously can't be trusted, he's willing to try and forgive others. he's great!"**

 _I didn't see it before, but I do now. The Great Papyrus is a combination of almost everyone in the Underground:_

 _Mettaton's confidence in himself..._

 _Undyne's courage to fight..._

 _Asgore's Determination to work hard..._

 _The Old Lady's kind heart that refuses to hurt others..._

 _The Royal Guard's need for affection from people..._

 _Alphys' passion for the things she loves..._

 _He even has my ability to shrug off bad situations._

 _I should have appreciated my little bro a lot more. He was such a good guy, but all I saw was a little kid obsessed with puzzles and spaghetti. He was loud and obnoxious, but he was also a combination of everything good in the Underground. A collection of all the wonderful tiny traits he found in others._

Sans reached out and pet his brother affectionately. **"i know he's still in there pap. you just have to find him."**

 **"What's the point though?"** asked Papyrus quietly. **"Why try in the first place if we've no chance?"**

 _He sounds like me..._

 **"because if we don't, we won't deserve a chance."**

Papyrus closed his eyes for a few moments.

 _I am a mask, not the person behind it. I am whoever I pretend to be. Whoever I choose. If I've no hope or chance, I'll become someone who does._

 **"Hmmm...I understand. Alright, we'll work together."**

 **"thanks bro."**

Papyrus put his smile back on and sat up straight. **"Flowey was the last one to have the Reset power, before Chara took it. He's been complaining about not remembering him although the child has clearly been here before."**

 **"whoa easy pap, back up a bit. who is chara?"** asked Sans, confused.

 **"The human, or anomaly as you put it. They're acting like they've been here before, but Flowey doesn't remember them."**

 **"so flowey can remember the resets?"**

 **"Yes, but-"**

 **"but they can't remember seeing chara, though they're acting like they know the place."** Sans was starting to get it now.

 **"Correct. Flowey and I have been discussing possible explanations but have come up short...until now."**

 **"you know what's going on?"**

Papyrus nodded. **"I think so. I think Chara destroyed a timeline and jumped to ours. That's why Flowey doesn't remember them."**

 **"kay' so how do we stop it from happening again?"**

 **"You kill the little traitor!"**

The two brothers jumped as a familiar voice rang out and a twisted smiling face appeared near the couch arm.

 **"Flowey!"**

 **"sup'."**

 **"So, the little brat killed me along with the world huh? Wellll it's not going to happen THIS time!"** exclaimed Flowey, laughing shrilly and maniacally.

He had been waiting for Sans and Papyrus to get back from the lab so he could discuss his memory problems, but it seems they had a little discussion of their own. One that was more than a little...enlightening.

 _That little brat! How dare they..._

 _Chara thinks they can betray ME?!_

 _IDIOT!_

 _Does Chara really think I care that they're my sibling?_

 _I WILL END THEM!_

 _I WILL DESTROY THEM AND TAKE THEIR SOUL!_

 **"You've something in mind?"**

 **"Of course! HA HA HA HA HA!"**

 **"alrighty! let's all work together and take this brat out,"** said Sans.

 **"That's a wonderful idea!"**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen:**

 **You Can't Choose Your Family**

* * *

 **"Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower!"**

Chara slowly opened their eyes to see Flowey doing his wiggling dance back and forth.

 _Morning, you deceitful little maggot..._

 _How's your head? HA HA HA HA HA!_

Chara waited patiently for Flowey's dialogue to end.

They had woken up in the flower patch they had started in, but they were more than a little confused. Unlike with other Resets, their head and stomach hurt and they couldn't remember Resetting. In fact, they couldn't remember anything.

 _Did Flowey always greet us at the flower patch or...?_

 **"Down here, LOVE is shared through...little white 'friendliness pellets.'"**

Chara dodged the pellets as per usual, and as usual Toriel stepped in and hit Flowey with a fire ball.

What was UNUSUAL was Toriel's dialogue.

 **"Greetings child, I am Toriel. I live in these ruins. It's a good thing I came along when I did, or that nasty little creature would've caused you some serious harm."**

Chara stood in place completely dumbfounded. This had NEVER happened before. Never had the dialogue changed in a brand new timeline. Only when Chara did certain things did anything change.

 **"Are you alone, little one? Perhaps you should come with me. The Ruins can be a dangerous place for one so young."**

Chara followed Toriel without question. She didn't teach them how to solve the puzzles, or ask them to talk to the dummy. In fact, the dummy wasn't even there.

 **"What are you staring at child?"**

Chara didn't respond. They just continued onward stopping only to visit the candy room.

 **"Oh! Are you curious about that room? Such an adventurous youth! There's actually candy inside. Go ahead and take a piece, but only one. I leave them out so monsters who can't find food for the day can sleep with a full stomach."**

Chara went inside only to find that all the candy had spilt onto the ground.

 **"Oh no! Who could have done such a thing? They didn't even have the common courtesy to pick the bowl back up..."**

Chara didn't care. They suddenly didn't want candy anymore.

 **"How disrespectful some people can be..."** said Toriel scooping up the dirty candy and putting it back in the bowl.

 _We didn't do this. Our inventory is empty. We're good enough to avoid getting hit by most of these monsters; we would've had some left..._

It seemed like someone had already been in the Ruins before them and caused quite a mess. Everywhere they looked dust scattered the ground. There were still monsters, but the floor was incredibly dusty like someone had killed a mosh pit of them.

Toriel didn't seem fazed at all by the dust. It was like she couldn't even see it. She walked though it as easily as one would grass, never mentioning it once.

 _Something's going on here..._

 _Why isn't Toriel upset about all the dust?_

 _Is there really another us running around killing monsters like we are?_

 _Another time hopper?_

 _FLOOSH!_

Chara killed another monster and gathered their EXP, looking at Toriel. She hadn't left them since she encountered them. She had just been quietly leading them as they slaughtered more and more monsters.

 _Why isn't she saying anything?!_

Frisk floated silently beside Chara looking just as confused. Toriel _hated_ violence! She spent most of her time talking about chatting with monsters, solving the puzzles for Chara, and being nice!

Now she was just...quiet.

 _Don't worry about it Partner, she'll be dead soon anyway. What matters is whether or not we run into whoever got here first._

Reaching the pitfall puzzle ,Toriel took a few steps onto it and stopped motioning for Chara to join her. After going a few more steps she stopped again sighing loudly. **"Oh dear, this pitfall puzzle may be a tad hard for you, my child, and I can't quite remember how it goes. However, that doesn't mean I can't get you across from here! Allow me to assist you,"** said Toriel picking Chara up.

 **"..."**

 **"Are you ready little one? Here we go! Wheeeee!"** Toriel threw Chara across the pitfall puzzle as hard as she could at blinding speed.

They flew so fast they actually made it into the next room.

 **"..."**

 _CRACK!_

Chara's vision went black as their skull collided with one of the rocks.

 **"Oh dear, I guess I threw them a little bit too hard, didn't I? Hee hee!"**

Flowey popped up from under the ground.

 **"Is Chara taking ANOTHER nap?** **How lazy..."** said Flowey shaking his head in mock disappointment. He used his vines to climb onto Toriel's shoulder and wrapped them around her arm to keep himself from falling off.

Toriel was a lot taller than Papyrus, and a fall from her shoulder would be a doozy for a tiny delicate flower such as himself.

 **"Whatever shall we do, Flowey?"** asked Toriel putting her paws to her cheeks.

Chara's blood began to pool on the floor.

 **"You're the mom! What do YOU think we should do?"**

Toriel put a paw under her chin as if she were thinking hard. **"Let's carry the poor dear home, yes?"**

Picking up the child by their hair, Toriel dragged them into the next two rooms humming, until she was stopped by a figure laying in her path.

 **"All of my hate Napstablook,"** said Flowey. **"All of it."**

Napstablook said nothing. They were too busy staring at Toriel...and the bleeding child she held by the hair.

 **"Hello there. Are you a friend of Flowey's?"** asked Toriel smiling and bending down.

Napstablook disappeared.

 **"I guess he had to go. Shame. Come along child."**

She continued dragging Chara.

Flowey cringed when he saw the path to the bake sale, remembering his sibling's obsession with it.

 **"Oh look little one! A bake sale is going on! Are you hungry?"**

 **"..."**

 **"No?"**

 **"..."**

 **"You don't have to worry about putting me out child; I'm here to take care of you."**

 **"..."**

 **"Very well. It would spoil your dinner anyway,"** said Toriel sticking her nose in the air as if she'd been offended.

 **"You're such a good mother..."** said Flowey, swooning.

 **"I know right?! All the children love me!"** exclaimed Toriel lifting her arms, and Chara, into the air happily. **"I do think I'll stop for some Spider Cider though. It's for a good cause after all."**

They soon reached another area with another pitfall puzzle. They hadn't really encountered any other monsters in the area, mostly due to the fact that they had all run away as Toriel approached. **"Oh dear...another one of these..."**

 **"Why don't you just step over the spikes?** **I won't tell anyone you cheated,"** said Flowey with an sadistic grin.

 **"Hmm, I really shouldn't...but maybe just this once."** said Toriel giggling and stepping over the spikes. She dragged Chara through them, tearing their clothes up.

 **"Ah, now this room is a good room,"** said Toriel, stepping into the room with colored switches. **"Which one do YOU think it is my child?"**

 **"..."**

 **"You don't know?"**

 **"..."**

 **"That's alright dear, we can't all be bright stars..."**

Flowey laughed. **"Chara's more like a planet,"** he said, remembering how he had to carry Chara back to the Special Place.

Flicking the right switch, the two entered the next switch room and Toriel bent down again to speak to Chara. **"What about this room my child? Do you know which switch it is?"**

 **"..."**

 **"You don't have to be shy little one. No one's judging you."**

 **"..."**

Toriel sighed softly. **"Such a quiet child..."**

Toriel flicked the right switch and entered the next switch room. It was the same as the last, and like the last room, Toriel asked the unconscious child if they knew the answer. She again was met with silence.

 **"I don't want to make you feel bad dear, but one day you're going to have to solve puzzles by yourself. Mommy can't keep you under her skirt forever."**

Toriel grimaced as she noticed part of her robe had become bloody from Chara's head wound. **"Oh nooo, I just had this washed!"**

 **"Don't worry your Highness, blood hardly shows on purple,"** said Flowey attempting to sooth her.

 **"It's on my sleeve toooo!"** Toriel whined.

 **"I'll help you wash it after we get past the last puzzle room and make it home."**

Toriel's eyes lit up with happiness and gratitude. **"You're such a dear, Flowey! What would I do without you?"**

Flowey smiled bashfully, hiding his face in his leaves. **"What's a queen without her loyal subjects?"**

Toriel giggled and continued on to the last puzzle room in the Ruins, Chara leaving a long trail of red behind them.

 **"Alright child, this is the last puzzle. Let's do our best this time."**

 **"..."**

 **"You can do it Chara!"** exclaimed Flowey.

 **"..."**

 _So stubborn..._

 **"Char-ra! Char-ra! Char-ra!"** Flowey began to cheer his sibling's name and motioned for Toriel to join him.

 **"CHAR-RA! CHAR-RA! CHAR-RA!"** cheered the two of them together as loud as they could.

 **"..."**

 **"YOU CAN DO IT CHARA!"** cheered Toriel excitedly.

 **"WE BELIEVE IN YOU CHARA!"** cheered Flowey, pumping his leaves up and down in the air as if he were at a sports game.

 **"DON'T LET YOUR DREAMS BE DREAMS MY CHILD!"**

Monsters from the next room heard all the commotion and followed the noise to where Toriel and Flowey stood. They curiously watched from a distance, poking their heads from around the corner of the wall.

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

Toriel flicked the right switch.

 **"YOU DID IT LITTLE ONE!"** she cried tossing Chara up and down in the air.

 **"YAAAAAAYY!"** shouted Flowey dumping the jug of cider on Chara's head as if it were Gatorade.

The other monsters cheered too, though they were unsure of what was going on. The entirety of the Ruins echoed with the sound of their excited celebration. Even the shy Whimsuns joined in.

Paws, vines, claws and hands lifted Chara into the air and carried them to Toriel's house cheering and smiling.

They were unsure why they were carrying a kid that was clearly injured and bleeding profusely, but if the Queen was excited...

 **"We're here! Look child! This is your new home!"** said Toriel stretching her arm towards her house dramatically.

The Ruin monsters gave Toriel the bloody child and left with smiles on their faces and hope in their hearts.

Someone yesterday had killed a lot of monsters and the dust of many people's loved ones was still scattered along the ground. The celebration today was just what they needed to cheer themselves up. Perhaps the Queen destroyed the killer. Maybe the bleeding child helped her save the day and got injured. The Queen WAS treating them like a hero...

 **"What do you think little one? This is where you'll be growing up! I personally love purple, don't you? It's the color of royalty you know."**

 **"..."**

 **"What? Not impressed? Well how about we save the judgments for later until you see the inside?"**

Flowey opened the door for Toriel with a bow.

 **"Why, thank you Flowey."**

 **"Anything for you, your Highness!"**

Toriel stepped through the door and into the house. **"Such a gentleman..."**

Flowey shut the door behind her.

 **"welcome home dear!"**

Sans sat in the large arm chair reading a book. His size made him look like a small child in comparison to the chair. He smiled at Toriel and Flowey as they turned the corner.

 **"It's good to be home darling. Look what I found in the Ruins today! Isn't it cute?"** Toriel held Chara out for Sans to see.

 _Damn Pap, what'd you do to them?_

Chara was drenched in blood, their clothes torn to rags. They had a gash in their head that would definitely need stitches.

Sans put down his book.

 **"now honey, what did we say about bringing mangy creatures into the house?"** asked Sans, struggling to keep serious. He had to play along or the illusion would wear off.

 **"But Saaaannss! I'm not heartless! They have nowhere to gooo!"** whined Toriel.

 _THUMP!_

 _THUMP!_

 _THUMP!_

All three of them turned to look down the hallway.

 _THUMP!_

 _THUMP!_

 _THUMP!_

 **"Now what could that awful racket be, I wonder?"** asked Toriel, as she walked down the hall to the bedrooms.

 **"Sans! You let me out of here this instant!"** yelled a voice that sounded like hers.

 **"sorry old lady, you're a great friend, but i promised to hang out with my little bro today,"** yelled Sans from the living room.

 **"SANS!"**

 **"Young lady, you'll do well to remember that you are a guest in my house!"** said Toriel sternly.

 **"This is MY house! You leave!"** yelled the voice.

 _THUMP!_

 _THUMP!_

 **"My dear, your behavior is completely unacceptable. I have half a mind to show you the door,"** said Toriel crossing her arms with a glare.

 **"LET ME OUT!"**

 **"c'mon miss, let pap have his fun. we'll be gone before you can say 'guards.'"**

 **"I'M** _ **GOING**_ **TO CALL THE GUARDS!"**

 **"we'll be gone before you do, this is a promise i'll actually keep."**

 **"SANS!"**

 **"Hey Trashbag, since you're Toriel right now, can you make some butterscotch pie?"**

Toriel's form began to shimmer and dissolve, revealing herself to be Papyrus.

Sans got up from the chair thoroughly amused. As a skeleton his brother's font didn't work on him and thus illusions didn't fool him, but it was still funny to see people react to Papyrus as if he were someone else. He was a little bummed that while everyone else saw Toriel with normal red eyes, Sans saw his brother with glowing orange ones, but thinking about all the prank possibilities kept him from being TOO upset.

It was really neat to see Papyrus completely transform his personality to try and match the Old Lady's. His manner of speech was a perfect match and although he had never seen her before today, he guessed everything else was too.

It was no wonder Gaster wanted to use his brother against the humans. With that kind of power...

 **"Hmph."**

Sans glanced at Flowey who was pouting on Papyrus's shoulder. Apparently he had really wanted that pie. The comedian winced as the flower uncoiled from his brother's arm and stood near his boots.

 _Don't the thorns hurt?_

 **"Shall we leave the human downstairs, outside the door to Snowdin? I imagine they'd freeze to death if we simply toss them out into the snow."**

 **"you were supposed to bring the kid back here conscious, so we could talk to em'."**

 **"*Sigh* I know you made a promise Sans, but I think our lives are more important, yes?"**

 **"i just...wanted to give them a chance,"** said Sans disappointed.

 **"They turned against their own brother, slaughtered countless people, and destroyed the world countless times. They're garbage Smiley. Garbage doesn't GET second chances!"**

 **"mmm..."**

 **"The point is, I said he'd get an opportunity to try and talk to the human, and he didn't get it. Apologies, Brother. Perhaps you could try again in Snowdin?"**

 **"He'd only be wasting his time** **,** **might even get killed. Wouldn't that be unfortunate?"**

Papyrus glared down at the small plant. **"There's always a chance, my fragile friend. All people are born as blank slates. No one comes out of the womb swinging a blade."**

Flowey laughed as he imagined a knife wielding baby.

 **"Something made this human what they were, that means something else can change them back."**

 **"what does that mean?"** asked Sans.

 **"Just ignore him. Papyrus has these episodes-"**

 **"It means even the worst person can change, given the proper incentive. All it takes is one belief to change someone,"** explained Papyrus, completely ignoring Flowey's insult.

 **"Are you gonna make Chara believe killing is wrong with your font?"**

 **"I'm going to try..."** said Papyrus. He looked uneasy as he said it.

 _This human is a combination of two people if I understood Flowey correctly._

 _Will my font work on two people at once?_

 _Or will it not work at all?_

 **"you don't seem too confident."**

Papyrus let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. **"Something's...off, about this Human. My font may not work I fear."**

Both Sans and Flowey looked at each other worriedly.

Without Papyrus's font, they had nothing to work with. Everyone knew how powerful Chara's Determination was. The only weakness that kid had was their mind. Their memory was the only thing that didn't reset no matter how many times they died. If they could alter Chara's mind without destroying their body, they'd be safe.

But without Papyrus's font...

 **"Your font is literally all we got Bonehead! What do we do if it doesn't work?!"** asked Flowey angrily.

 _This brat is NOT getting away with betraying me! I don't care if they're the only person I can't predict!_

 _When I get my soul none of that will matter anyway! They'll be nothing but a bad memory._

 **"We try to convince them without it."**

 **"Oh I'm sure that will work REAL well,"** said Flowey disbelievingly.

Papyrus adjusted his gloves. **"There's are many ways to convince someone other than talking,"** he said smiling.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty:**

 **A Judge Judges**

* * *

Chara woke up with a splitting headache feeling and looking like they had used a cheese grater as a slip n' slide. Their hands were skinned, their clothes were torn to ribbons, and they were covered in blood. These cuts were going to need more than a band aid.

They were in so much pain that for a moment they thought about Resetting, but they knew if they did, the mystery of what happened here would haunt them forever. Their main goal was still to destroy everything until nothing was left, but the hundreds of timelines they'd visited had taught them the value of variety. They now jumped at every chance to see something new no matter how small, and this was BIG.

Slowly and carefully, they rose a few inches at a time to their feet. They didn't want to get dizzy and fall over; the last thing they needed was another head injury.

It seemed they were in front of the spot where Flowey was to appear and talk to them about Toriel. They limped towards the little patch of grass, and sure enough Flowey appeared.

 **"Howdy Chara! It's me, your best friend! I didn't recognize you before, but I do now. You sure did a number on that old hag!"**

Chara shook their head.

Now FLOWEY was different. His dialogue was much shorter and to the point. They didn't remember Flowey ever calling them 'Chara' until much later.

They didn't remember killing Toriel either.

They DID remember her acting strangely and throwing them across the Pitfall Puzzle though.

 _Why did she do that?_

 _What happened to us?_

 **"Let's show everyone the TRUE meaning of this world!"**

Flowey disappeared into the ground and Chara continued forward.

They had to find Sans. He was the only one who knew anything about timelines. If there was another them running around, he'd help them catch them right? His whole goal was to fix the timeline, he'd WANT to help.

Right?

 _That comedian better help us, or HE'S gonna have a bad time!_

They exited the door to the Ruins and walked down the snowy path towards the ridiculous gate Papyrus had constructed. They remember thinking it was a Japanese structure of some sort when they first saw it.

Chara rubbed their arms trying to warm them. The path this time seemed colder, and not just because their clothes were now rags. The trees looming over them were somehow intimidating although they had seen them a million times and the entire area had an ominous air about it. It reminded them of a time long ago, eons ago, when they and Asriel would go candy gathering on Spooky Day.

It was a time when monsters were still new to Chara. Everyone and everything was scary. They had an orange gathering bucket in the shape of a jack o' lantern with a plastic handle that they would grip tightly until their hands hurt whenever a new monster appeared. Asriel would always ring the door bells and pick the houses smiling as if it were the best holiday of the year.

Spooky Day later became Chara's favorite as well. It was a day of pure adventure.

Buildings and stores that had seemed bright and cheery any other day, became mysterious haunted buildings when night fell. It was only on Spooky Day that these buildings could easily be broken into. Everyone was either candy gathering or giving out candy at their homes. No one was at work, due to Asgore stating that work would be cancelled every holiday so people could spend them with their families.

That meant no guards.

 _Father was never the brightest star._

Chara and Asriel would often break into places they weren't allowed to visit, just to play hide n' seek in the creepy dark hallways. Being the only people in a dark unfamiliar building and hearing their footsteps echo where ever they ran, was the best. The two children learned a lot about many places from their explorations, and the lab was their favorite...

 **"GREETINGS TRAVELER! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"**

Chara jolted in surprise and looked up to see Papyrus sitting atop the gate swinging his feet. His eyes were glowing a bright orange that reminded Chara of their gathering bucket all over again.

 **"YOU WOULDN'T HAPPEN TO BE A HUMAN NOW, WOULD YOU?"**

Chara wasn't sure if answering was a good idea. This was new too. They had never seen Papyrus's eyes glow before, although they'd seen his brother's countless times. It usually meant Sans was angry when his eye went blue.

Was Papyrus mad at them?

 **"ARE YOU INCAPABLE OF SPEECH LITTLE ONE? HOW SAD!"**

Papyrus didn't LOOK like he felt sorry for them, but it was hard to tell from so far away. For some reason they felt like getting closer to the skeleton was a bad idea. Everything in Chara screamed at them to run; run and find somewhere safe. The hair on their arms sprang up, their body felt heavy, and they even had the sudden urge to cry.

The skeleton was still staring down at them.

Whatever was causing this intense fear, was definitely coming from those eyes. They drew the child in and filled their chest with an icy coldness they couldn't shake.

 _Since when was Papyrus scary?!_

 **"CHILD."**

It was getting hard to breath and they suddenly felt dizzy. They couldn't seem to move their body a single inch forwards or backwards.

 _What the hell is this?!_

 **"ARE YOU IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE? THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS GLAD TO HELP!"**

The skeleton was smiling, but it was anything but charming. It reminded Chara of their own smile, wild and psychotic. It was surreal to see such a look on Papyrus's face of all people.

 _I've seen this somewhere before._

No.

No, it wasn't the smile that was different.

It was just the eyes making it seem that way.

 _Where have I seen this?_

Everything about him looked the same except for the eyes; they couldn't believe one feature could make such a massive difference.

 _I'm not scared of FREAKING Papyrus._

 _That's embarrassing..._

Summoning up their courage and Determination, they forced themselves to move forward.

One shaky step at a time.

* * *

 **"Hurry up Asriel!"**

 **"I'm coming, just hold on!"**

Two children, a human and monster called to one another in loud whispers from two different heights.

Chara was sitting on the ledge of an open window belonging to the Lab, while Asriel was trying to run and jump up to where Chara's hand awaited to grab him.

The window was quite a ways up, and they had had to stack various things they had carried from the dump to even _hope_ to touch the paneling. Chara had made it up first, their hands best suited for climbing, but Asriel's small furry paws were proving to be a hassle.

 **"You can do it Asriel! Just reach for my hand!"**

 **"I'm ERRRUAH trying!"**

Asriel repeatedly ran as fast as he could towards the Lab, stepped on the boxes they had collected and leaped towards their sibling's hand, only to come up short.

 **"Wait, hold on. Take off your sweater."**

The little monster's eyes lit up in understanding.

He took off his sweater and tried running again. This time when he leaped, he threw the arm of his sweater to Chara, who caught it.

 **"*Gasp!*"** Chara gasped as the sudden weight threatened to send them falling forward to the hot hard ground below. Asriel was heavier than the child expected. They gripped the bottom of the window hard, to keep from earning a trip to the hospital...or afterlife.

 **"Can you pull me up?"**

Chara grunted and began pulling their brother up to the ledge, their one hand holding onto the window tighter. **"Ugh, how many bricks do you have in your pockets?!"**

 **"Just the one I plan to hit you with if we get caught; this is the worst idea EVER. How are we suppose to get back out?"**

The child tapped into their Determination and holstered the monster up further. **"Don't be a baby. We're almost there!"**

One last pull got Asriel onto the ledge beside Chara. They looked down into the inside of the Lab, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

They haven't even been down there yet and it was already creepy.

" **I'll jump down first, then I'll catch you,"** said Chara.

 **"I'm the better jumper, so I should go down and catch you."**

Chara looked at their brother as if they were crazy. **"It doesn't matter how good a jumper you are if you don't have hands to grab me!"**

 **"I don't need hands, I just need my arms."**

 **"That's not a good idea,"** said Chara, unconvinced.

 **"I'm a goat! I jump better, and I'm softer, so I can break your fall better!"**

He was right. Even if Asriel didn't catch them he'd be soft to land on.

 **"*Sigh* Go for it then."**

The little monster jumped to the tile with perfect grace; almost without making a sound. Turning around he took a bow and held out his arms.

 **"Oomph!"**

Chara landed on Asriel, sending them both to the ground.

 **"How about I eat half your candy this Spooky Day?"** suggested the little monster putting his sweater back on. He glared at Chara as if it were their fault his chest was now throbbing.

 **"That's fine, I heard goat is edible. I'll trade it for your arm."**

Asriel stuck his tongue out at Chara and looked around.

 **"This place is awesome!"** he said with a fist pump.

The lab was dark and quiet as would be expected. The place smelled of rubbing alcohol, and beakers, flasks, and bottles lined the shelves and counters; some holding liquid and others not.

The two knew better than to touch anything. They may had only been children, but they weren't stupid. Bad things happened in laboratories. They had seen it on tv.

 **"We have to be careful around here. Don't knock over anything or we'll make a blob monster or something,"** warned Chara.

 **"We might make poison too if this stuff gets mixed up. It'll turn into a gas and get into our lungs and melt our insides,"** Asriel replied.

 **"What if we drop some bottles and made acid on the floor? If we stepped in it, our feet would melt off. Not even your fur would protect you."** Chara made a hissing sound to illustrate their point.

 **"What if the acid makes a hole in the floor we can't see and we fall a million gazillion feet to the next floor? We'd break all the bones in our legs and no one would find us for hours!"** said Asriel giggling.

This was their favorite to do in scary places, regardless of what day it was. They liked to scare each other with "what if" stories and see who ran out of ideas first or got too scared to continue.

 **"That's if we survive the fall at all,"** said Chara smiling.

Chara usually won the game; most likely due to the company they used to keep.

 **"Oh hey there's actually an elevator over here!"** said Asriel happily. **"It probably doesn't work with the power off though."**

The little monster pressed the down button anyway and was surprised to find the door opened slowly.

 **"Huh?"**

* * *

A bird flew out of a tree suddenly, startling Chara out of their day tall skeleton had been super quiet; not something they were used to, but the child continued moving forward, the leaves and snow crunching under their shoes.

 _CRUNCH!_

 _CRUNCH!_

 _CRUNCH!_

Papyrus's grin got wider as Chara approached, his gloved fingers tapping the wood of the gate beside him in a steady pattern as if he were playing a piano.

His eyes never left Chara.

 **"GOING OFF?"**

They didn't respond, they just kept walking.

 _Right foot._

 _Left foot._

 _Right foot._

 _Left foot._

They were underneath Papyrus now. They could see the snow and dirt under his red boots as they continued to move up and down.

 _Right foot._

 _Left foot._

* * *

 **"It's even darker down here. I can barely see anything,"** complained Asriel as he and his sibling stepped out of the elevator and into the True Lab.

They both searched for a light switch and found none.

 **"Our eyes will just have to adjust,"** said Chara.

Asriel's fluffy ears perked up all of a sudden.

He could have sworn he heard music coming from a room somewhere...

 **"Which room do you want to check first?"** asked Chara widening their eyes as if it would somehow give them cat-like vision.

Asriel held up a paw to silence them. The music was faint, but it was definitely there.

 **"Do you hear that?"**

It sounded like a music box.

 **"I don't hear anything. Is someone coming?"**

Asriel walked around the lab, trying to figure out where the sound was loudest. When he found it, he waved Chara over and walked down a hallway.

 **"Where are we going?"**

 **"I don't know. Tell me when you hear the music."**

As they got closer and closer to the source, Chara began to hear it as well.

 **"I hear it!"**

 **"Shhhh!"**

The music was definitely coming from a music box. It wasn't cheery either. It was dark and sad. Chara had no idea they even MADE music boxes like that.

For a moment they thought the lab had earlier been turned into a haunted house attraction for the night and they'd simply missed the memo, but there's no way anyone could miss a music box that loud while shutting down the place.

Also it kept stopping after awhile and starting back up...

Like someone was winding it.

 **"I think someone's here Chara."**

 **"Yeah, I think they're in here too,"** said the child pointing to a metal door.

Chara opened the door a tad.

 **"What are you doing?! We're gonna get caught!"** whispered Asriel angrily.

 **"I just wanna see a little..."**

The room was dimly lit, which was a nice surprise, although the room was by far the creepiest place in the lab. It was a nursery of all things.

Toys were scattered everywhere and the crib looked to be made of some kind of dark wood; Chara could just see a red mattress lining the bottom. The crib had a dusty canopy that looked more like a giant spider's webbing, and a mobile with bats, pumpkins, and black cats instead of planets or dinosaurs.

The walls were covered in stained wallpaper that had grown yellow with age and was peeling in some places, but the grey carpet however, looked to be brand new. It would have been natural to assume the room was unfinished if so much stuff hadn't been laying about.

Asriel picked up a toy doll with missing eyes.

 **"Creepy. Did this human doll thing come from the dump?"** asked Asriel in a whisper.

Chara didn't answer. Their eyes were fixed on the crib.

 **"There's no way."**

They walked towards the creepy crib and peeked inside.

 **"There's no way,"** they whispered.

A little baby skeleton in orange footy pajamas looked up to meet Chara, holding a music box.

 **"Hi."**

* * *

 **"YOU KNOW CHILD, IT'S RUDE TO IGNORE SOMEONE WHEN THEY'RE TALKING TO YOU."**

 _Right foot._

 _Left foot._

 **"IF GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE FRIENDS."**

 _Right foot._

 _Left foot._

 _Right foot._

 **"BUT THAT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS..."**

 _Left foot._

 _Right foot._

 **"WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH THE GREAT PAPYRUS?"**

They finally reached the gate's end and turned to look at Papyrus. He hadn't turned around. He was still sitting on top of the gate kicking his feet.

 **"..."**

Chara turned around themselves and continued on towards Snowdin.

 _THUMP!_

 _ **"!"**_

 **"ATTENTION TRAVELER! AS THE COOLEST CITIZEN IN SNOWDIN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, FEEL IT IS MY SWORN DUTY TO ESCORT YOU TO TOWN!"**

Chara fell backwards into the snow and scooted away from Papyrus franticly.

 _HOW'D HE GET BEHIND ME?!_

 _HE WAS ALL THE WAY OVER THERE!_

 **"WHAT'S WRONG?"**

 **"..."**

 **"OH I SEE. YOU'RE SCARED ."**

The child shook violently with fear as Papyrus squat down to meet their eyes. **"YOU'RE ONLY HAVE ONE LV. YOU MUST BE SO FRIGHTENED BEING HERE ALL ALONE WITHOUT YOUR PARENTS! MAYBE A PUZZLE WILL CHEER YOU UP?"** Papyrus said this without a smile, in fact, he was glaring at Chara angrily though his voice sounded concerned.

 **"Get away from me,"** whispered Chara.

 **"WHAT?"** Papyrus wasn't sure he had heard correctly. He had been told the human wasn't much of a talker.

 **"GET AWAY FROM ME!"**

Birds that had nested in the trees after flying into the mountain and becoming trapped within the barrier, flew from their homes as Chara's voice rang out shrill, angry, and terrified.

 **"GET AWAY FROM ME OR I'LL KILL YOU!"**

Papyrus didn't so much as flinch.

He kept his glowing glare on them and didn't move.

 **"You don't have the Determination Chara,"** he whispered.

 _SLASH!_

 _SNAP!_

Chara swung their tree branch at Papyrus, who caught it with one hand and snapped it in two. He smiled and reached for Chara slowly with a gloved hand.

 **"GO AWAY!"**

 **"whoa! easy there kiddo, let's play nice kay'?"** Sans leaned over at his station smiling at the two.

 _Sans!_

 **"THIS TRAVELER THREATENED TO KILL ME BROTHER! NYOO HOO HOO!"** Papyrus covered his face with his hands and pretended to cry.

His eyes stopped glowing but the unnatural fear remained.

 **"you picking on my bro kid?"**

Chara got up and ran off, kicking up snow.

 **"WAIT TRAVELER! YOU DON'T KNOW THE WAY!"** cried Papyrus running after them with a twisted smile.

 **"*sigh* i should probably go after em' buuut..."**

Sans took out his phone and punched in his brother's number.

One ring...two...

 **"HELLO?"**

 **"hey pap, i know it's still my shift, but do you want any help?"**

 **"GRRAAHH! STAY AT YOUR POST LAZYBONES!"**

Sans laughed. He could almost picture his brother looking angry on the other line.

 _Should I really stay at my post though?_

It probably wasn't a good idea.

Papyrus would yell at him, but he might need him too. He still wanted to talk to the kid. Find out why he was destroying timelines. If Papyrus killed them, he'd never know.

 _He'll catch em' too. Papyrus has been hunting people down like animals for years; that kid hasn't a chance._

 **"YOU CAN'T RUN FROM ME CHILD!"**

Chara fell to the ground immediately, eating dirt and snow. They didn't bother getting back up. Papyrus was right. They didn't know why, but they knew it was true. Running was pointless.

 _Why aren't we getting up?!_

 _We can't..._

 _Yes we can!_

 _No we can't..._

Frisk pulled at their hair, frustrated. They didn't know what was going on, and they couldn't do anything while Chara had their soul. They couldn't even pull Chara off the ground.

 **"FINALLY! YOU'RE *HUFF* PRETTY FAST LITTLE ONE! COLOR ME IMPRESSED!"** said Papyrus resting his hands on his knees and breathing hard.

 _You have to get up! You have to get up now!_

 **"STILL, YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"** said Papyrus holding up a finger.

 **"..."**

The skeleton looked at Chara for a few moments.

 **"I...I DON'T REMEMBER WHY I WAS CHASING YOU."**

 **"..."**

 **"PERHAPS WE SHOULD VISIT MY HOME AND GET YOU CLEANED UP! I'LL COOK YOU SOME OF MY WORLD FAMOUS SPAGHETTI! NYEH HEH HEH!"**

Papyrus picked Chara up and carried them home.

 **"SANS!"** yelled Papyrus kicking open the front door. **"PREPARE THE GOOD SILVERWARE! WE HAVE A GUEST!"**

The house was dark and empty.

 **"SANS! GOD... HOLD ON TRAVELER. I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THIS."**

Papyrus took out his phone.

 **"THIS MAY TAKE AWHILE, APOLOGIES. I HAVE A WIDE ARRAY OF FRIENDS ON MY PHONE."**

 **"..."**

 **"hey papyrus, what do you have there?"**

 **"SSHHH! I'M TRYING TO CALL SANS!"**

 **"gotcha. hey kid, you hungry?"**

 **"..."**

Sans took Chara from underneath Papyrus's arm and put them under his own, bringing them into the kitchen. Opening the fridge he pointed to the containers inside. **"we got spaghetti with cinnabun slices, spaghetti soaked in sea tea, spaghetti-shaped charcoal, and uhh...i don't know what that is."**

Chara didn't pick anything.

They merely stared at Sans as if they were in some kind of trance. Their eyes, wide and red, seemed to stare right through him.

 **"*sigh* listen kid, we know what you've been doing. destroying worlds, killing people...we don't know why though. what's the point of destroying a world and visiting another one that's exactly like it? what are you looking for?"**

 **"..."**

 **"i know you can speak kid; i heard you scream. the whole mountain did. you know..if you told us what you're looking for we might be able to help ya',"** said Sans as calm and gently as he could.

 **"..."**

 **"c'mon kiddo, i don't want to fight. work with me here..."**

 **"..."**

 **"You want to talk,"** lied Papyrus using his font.

 **"papyrus, i got this!"** said Sans, pushing Papyrus away. He wanted the kid to talk to him of their own free will. He didn't expect them to become friends, but he wanted to establish some kind of trust between them.

 **"...You're that baby."**

 **"..."**

 **"what? what are you talking about?"**

 **"You're that baby with the orange eyes we saw on Spooky Day."** said Chara.

 **"I'll be your executioner if you don't answer my brother's questions."**

 **"what are they talking about pap? you know this kid?"**

Papyrus crossed his arms indignantly and turned his head. **"It doesn't matter-"**

 **"Asriel and I snuck into the scary part of the lab we're not suppose to go in. We saw Papyrus sitting in his crib."**

 _The baby with the orange pajamas..._

 **"aww, that's cute-"**

 **"He tried to eat my face. He pretended like he wanted a hug and he tried to eat my face."** said Chara with an empty stare.

 **"You shouldn't have even been down there. If this world destruction nonsense is about me-"**

 **"You gave me nightmares."**

 **"i'm sure he's sorry though, right bro?"**

 **"No."**

 **"bro!"**

Chara didn't seemed fazed in the slightest. Their empty wide-eyed expression didn't change. **"Where are the other Horror Fonts?"**

 **"what?"**

 **"The skeletons that ate humans...where did they go?"** asked Chara in a whisper.

Sans looked to his brother.

He had forgotten to ask about that. He was so wrapped up in his brother's doings, he hadn't thought about anything else.

 _I actually have a lot of questions, come to think of it._

 **"Humans and Monsters...and some Normal Fonts, joined forces and destroyed my race and species. I'm the last Horror Font."**

 **"..."**

 _Everyone ganged up on Pap's people?_

 **"wow..."**

 **"Why?"**

 **"Hmm?"**

 **"Why did the Monsters and Normal Fonts destroy your people if you don't eat them?"**

 _That's a good question. You'd think Monster would jump at the chance to get Horrors on their side to fight humans, not turn against them._

 _I can't imagine why Normals would attack either. Font's don't work on other skeletons. What threat were they?_

 **"Same reason Humans attacked Monsters child. Fear."**

 **"why would normal fonts fear horrors?"**

 **"I heard the Humans and Monsters signed a contract..."** said Chara, ignoring Sans.

 **"Right, but that's not important-"**

 **"hold up, i wanna hear this,"** said Sans. He was curious as to why Papyrus was so intent on bypassing the issue. Admittedly it wasn't an issue anymore, but...

 **"Humans agreed not to wipe out Monsters if they agreed to help kill Horror Fonts. It was the Monsters that walked into Mt. Ebott and put up the barrier after they lost the war."**

 _Is that right? Seems Asgore left out a few things in those history books...and put some lies in there too._

 _I didn't think humans set up that barrier; seeing as they have no magic and all. Can't be a magician without magic._

Sans felt a small twinge of anger, but it quickly passed. The war had long since been over and revenge wouldn't bring back anyone.

 **"Are you mad at them?"**

 **"I hate them. I hate Humans. I hate Monsters. And I hate you Sans..."**

 _Because I'm a Normal Font, I'm guessing. Not that hating someone who had nothing to do with ANY war makes ANY sense..._

 **"Sans isn't responsible for what happened Chara."**

 **"My friends were Horrors. Mom didn't want me to play with them, but I thought they were cool. They didn't try to eat me like she said they would."**

 **"I..umm..."**

 _They're making Papyrus uncomfortable._

 **"Dirt2 Death, Extravaganza, Epoxy History, Jasper..."**

 **"Chara-"**

 **"Dirt2 Death liked to bury things alive..."**

 **"err.."**

 _Now they're making ME uncomfortable._

 **"Extravaganza was an artist that use to make pretty blood paintings and death sculptures."** said Chara bitterly. **"He painted me something with the blood of someone who use to bully me in school and my mom threw it out..."**

 **"those don't sound like the kind of people i'd want to grow up with kid."**

Papyrus looked at Sans.

 **"Shut up Normy! You think they're weird but they're not! They're just different! They WERE different. Until YOU people killed them all!"** The empty stare was gone, replaced with one of accusation.

 **"i don't remember fighting any war. i don't even remember being trained-"**

 **"If Papyrus wasn't your brother you'd kill him too! You're a racist who hates Horrors!"** Chara's anger seemed to come out of nowhere. They struggled from under Sans arm trying to get free.

 _That's such crap! I'd love Papyrus no matter WHAT he was! Even if he wasn't my brother, I'd love him!_

 **"making a loooot of assumptions there kiddo."**

 **"No I'm not! You've killed me lots of times because I wasn't like you!"**

 **"you're not even a horror..."**

 **"I don't have to be a Font to be a Horror, racist!"**

 _Oh my god..._

 **"papyrus, talk to this kid will ya'?"**

 **"..."**

 **"pap?"**

Papyrus didn't meet his eyes. He kept them to the kitchen floor.

 **"Papyrus agrees too! Sans is messed up right?!"**

 _You're full of shit kid._

 **"That WAS pretty racist Sans...it kinda hurt my feelings."**

 _Really?!_

 **"seriously?! burying things alive is weird and it's wrong!"** said Sans in disbelief. He couldn't believe his brother agreed with them.

Hurting someone was wrong. Killing them was wrong. Papyrus had a good reason to dust others, but the ones who didn't were..wrong! it wasn't right to destroy for fun or for sport.

Those victims had families and futures. To take those things away from someone was selfish and cruel. What right did they have?

 **"They can't help it! It's no different than you having to make stupid puns all the time!"** yelled Chara angrily. They knew about Comic Sans. It was one of the most hated Fonts in the world. They couldn't believe he had the nerve to judge Papyrus when his font was ten times worse.

 **"Or me having to lie every once in awhile..."**

 **"i'm pretty sure lying and making jokes is different than killing people,"** said Sans, putting Chara down.

 **"So what? They should just go to a therapist and change their font?"**

 _Is that possible?_

Sans' eyes widened.

If skeletons could change their fonts via therapy, did that mean Horrors were just sick skeletons? It made sense. If a baby bones was raised badly they WOULD get a bad font.

 _If their trauma were fixed, they'd be normal and non violent. They'd be able to live peacefully with everyone else..._

 **"if they can do that, then yeah. i think the world would be a better place without people burying each other alive."**

Papyrus went upstairs to his room quietly. His brother watched him with a growing sense of dread.

 _Aww...crap, did I just hurt his feelings again?_

 **"pap?"**

 _He can't seriously be disagreeing with me?_

 _It makes sense!_

 _Maybe he just doesn't think he's sick..._

 **"Now look what you did! That's why everyone has to die. Because people like you infect the world like a DISEASE!"**

 **"papyrus?"**

Sans went upstairs to his brother's room, only to find it locked. Peeking through the key hole he could see him sitting on his bed looking away from the door.

 **"bro?"**

 **"I'd like to be alone right now. I'm in no mood to deal with...you."**

 _Deal with me? What the hell does that mean?_

 **"you're mad at me aren't you?"**

 **"I'm disappointed in you."**

 _He's mad at me._

 **"i'm entitled to my own opinion papyrus. it doesn't affect you, so why are you angry with me?"**

There was silence behind the door for a minute or two before Papyrus spoke. **"...You said the world would be a better place if people didn't bury each other alive...right?"**

Sans nodded slowly even though Papyrus couldn't see him. It felt like he was walking on thin ice. **"yeah..."**

 **"What if Dirt2 Death was your brother instead of me? Would you still believe the world would be a better place without him?"**

Sans thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. **"well...i think it'd be better if his font was changed,"** said Sans. He noticed Chara glaring daggers at him from the corner of his eye.

 **"A skeleton's font is a big part of their personality. You'd change your brother's personality to make the world a better place?"**

 _Would Sans change me?_

 **"everyone has weak points in their personality; something they can work on."**

 _He would._

 **"You think Horror Fonts are skeletons with bad personalities?"**

 **"that's not what i said! i said they had bad points,"** said Sans quickly.

 **"You think my lying is bad? You want me to change?"** Papyrus sounded like he was going to cry.

 **"i'd like you to get some help, yeah; if that will make you happier. i don't mind the lying or killing, but it IS wrong."**

 **"I'm not sick brother. Even if I was, I'm happy the way I am."**

 **"LEAVE HIM ALONE SANS!"**

 **"everyone else isn't though."**

 **"I'm not concerned about everyone else."**

 **"you would be if you weren't sick pap."**

 **"HE'S NOT SICK!"**

 **"I don't consider that a good thing."**

 **"as i said, you would if you weren't sick."**

 **"I'm NOT sick! I'm just different! I enjoy different things, that you don't. It doesn't mean I'm mad!"**

 **"yes it does!"** said Sans incredulously. **"when ninety percent of the population isn't doing the same things you like to do, it means you've got problems bro. ninety percent of the world's population isn't killing people."**

 **"That might be because my people were wiped out,"** said Papyrus bitterly, glaring at the door.

 **"i highly doubt half the world was once populated with serial killers papyrus."**

 **"You can doubt all you want, you still don't know."**

Sans struggled to keep his patients in check. His brother was just being childish now. **"why are you being so ridiculous?"**

 **"I'm not being ridiculous, I'm being defensive! You're saying my people are sick. You're saying I'M sick. You're saying I'm a bad person and it hurts!"** Papyrus WAS crying now. He'd change if that was what his brother wanted, but it hurt that Sans didn't like the role he himself loved.

 _Am I not good enough?_

 **"i'm not saying you're a bad person! being sick doesn't mean you're bad! what's wrong with you?"**

 _That's like saying someone in a wheelchair is a bad person because they can't walk! Why would Pap even THINK something like that?_

 **"If murderers are bad and they murder because they're sick, then being sick means you're bad!"**

 **"that's wrong, and i'm not saying you're a bad person."**

 **"Yes you are!"**

 _Is who I am not good enough for Sans?_

 **"it doesn't even matter! everyone can change. you said so right? if you want to change that's fine, if you don't, that's fine too. i don't care!"**

 _SLAM!_

Sans jumped and turned just in time to see the front door slam shut.

 _Fine._

 **"uhh..hey bro? the kid left."**

 **"*Sigh* I've got it. Stay here."**

Papyrus headed down the stairs.

 **"hey pap, i didn't mean to hurt your feelings..."**

 **"I'm fine Brother, I'd doing anything for you. If you want me to change I will,"** said Papyrus solemnly. **"I'll try anyway. I love you very much. Wait here until I get back."**

 **"o-oh okay. i love you too pap. be careful alright?"**

Papyrus nodded and headed out.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One:**

 **The Great Papyrus**

* * *

 **"Wait Human!"**

Papyrus grabbed onto Chara's sleeve as they began to head out of Snowdin.

 **"I'm busy Papyrus..."**

 **"I-I don't want you to erase the world, but I don't want to kill you either if I don't have to."**

 **"What?"**

 _Didn't he want to kill me a little awhile ago?_

 **"My brother wants me to change. He...he doesn't like me as I am, so-"**

 **"So find someone who does. Don't change who you are or what you like to do just to please someone else,"** said Chara sadly. **"I've already been down that road and it's miserable."**

 **"I can do it though. I was BORN to do it. I can make him happy without suffering."**

 **"Someone like Sans will NEVER be happy. He'll spend the rest of his life worrying about what other people think of him, and what he should do to please them,"** said Chara matter-of-factly.

 **"That's not true. You're wrong."**

 **"Everything he does is for him. He's nice so he doesn't feel guilty. He avoids doing things people don't like because he doesn't want people to make him feel bad. He's a skeleton without a backbone."**

 **"You don't know a thing about Sans!"** yelled Papyrus angrily.

 **"I've known him longer than YOU have. He's a pitiful creature who'll give up anyone or anything to protect himself from his own conscious. Including you."**

Papyrus walked in front of Chara blocking the way to Waterfall. **"If you want to destroy my world or the lives of these monsters, you'll have to get through me first!"**

Chara looked at him, disgusted. **"Do not act like them Papyrus. You're better than that."**

 **"I'm whoever I choose to be human,"** said Papyrus firmly.

 _Anything to make him happy._

 _Anything to keep him safe._

 **"Get out of my way or you die Papyrus,"** said Chara taking a step forward.

 _Till my last breath._

 **"HALT HUMAN!"**

Chara took another step forward.

 **"HEY, QUITE MOVING WHILE I'M TALKING TO YOU!"**

Another step.

 **"I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY."**

 _Wait a minute..._

 **"FIRST: YOU'RE A FREAKING WEIRDO! NOT ONLY DO YOU NOT LIKE PUZZLES-"**

 _This is..._

 **"BUT THE WAY YOU SHAMBLE ABOUT FROM PLACE TO PLACE...THE WAY YOUR HANDS ARE ALWAYS COVERED IN DUSTY POWDER...IT FEELS..."**

 **"Stop it."**

 **"LIKE YOUR LIFE IS GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH."**

 **"I said stop it!"**

 **"HOWEVER! I, PAPYRUS, SEE GREAT POTENTIAL WITHIN YOU!"**

 **"KNOCK IT OFF!"** screamed Chara absolutely livid. They clenched their fists shaking with anger.

 **"EVERYONE CAN BE A GREAT PERSON IF THEY TRY!"**

 _The Great Papyrus is optimistic._

 **"KNOCK IT OFF OR I'LL KILL YOU!"**

This wasn't Papyrus. This wasn't Papyrus at all...

 **"AND ME, I HARDLY HAVE TO TRY AT ALL! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"**

Chara equipped the Tough Glove and took a step forward.

 **"HEY, QUIT MOVING! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!"**

 **"You piece of-"**

 **"HUMAN! I THINK YOU ARE IN NEED OF GUIDANCE!"**

Chara walked towards Papyrus briskly, gritting their teeth.

 **"SOMEONE NEEDS TO KEEP YOU ON THE STRIGHT AND NARROW! BUT WORRY NOT! I, PAPYRUS...WILL GLADLY BE YOUR FRIEND AND TUTOR! I WILL TURN YOUR LIFE RIGHT AROUND!"**

 _The Great Papyrus is a hard worker._

Papyrus stood in place watching Chara get closer and closer. He knew from experience that they had every intention of killing him just by looking into their eyes.

 _Flowey can protect Sans._

 _He can save the world._

 _I don't need to be here._

 **"I SEE YOU ARE APPROACHING."**

Papyrus began to shake, but he quickly stopped himself before the child saw.

 _The Great Papyrus is brave._

 **"ARE YOU OFFERING A HUG OF ACCEPTANCE? WOWIE! MY LESSONS ARE ALREADY WORKING!"**

 _The Great Papyrus never gives up._

Papyrus thought about everything he'd gone through, and what he fought for. He thought about Flowey who might never get a soul, he thought about his race coming to an end, and the brother whose face he'd never see again.

 **"I, PAPYRUS WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS!"**

 _The Great Papyrus is kind._

Chara jumped and swung their fist at Papyrus's head.

 _42065_

Hot, searing pain coursed through every bone in his body.

It felt like invisible hands were tearing him apart piece by piece. Every fiber of his being cried out in agony, as he felt himself falling apart like a sandcastle.

 **"Do you see what happens to people like Sans? They get hurt. They get** _ **killed.**_ **You let down your entire species Papyrus."**

Papyrus's head fell from his body and landed in his gloved hand.

 **"You let your people down for a worthless pile of judgmental trash. Because of you, there will never be another Horror Font. Everyone is going to die because of YOU."**

 _But won't my brother be proud of me? I was exactly what he wanted. I didn't hurt anyone just like he wanted. I was a good person, at least for a little while..._

 **"W-WELL, THATS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED..."**

Papyrus's body vanished, leaving only his head behind.

 **"BUT...ST...STILL! I BELIEVE IN YOU! YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER! EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK SO!"**

 _The Great Papyrus is forgiving._

 **"I...I PROMISE..."**

...

...

 _FLOOSH!_

Papyrus's dust scattered on the winds of Snowdin, leaving only his costume and gloves behind.

Chara picked up his scarf and put it on to keep warm.

 **"Liar."**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two:**

 **Retirement**

* * *

 _He's not coming back._

Sans sat on the couch with his hands on his knees, staring at the clock on the VCR. Papyrus had been gone for two hours; way longer than he should have.

 _He's really dead this time._

Looking out the window at the snow falling outside, Sans tried for the hundredth time to get his body to move, but it refused. While he'd been waiting for Papyrus to get back, his soul suddenly and without warning went ice cold. Everything in him screamed that something bad had happened to Papyrus, but he was too afraid to check.

 _I had a second chance and I blew it._

Another hour went by, and then another. Any hope he had was all but gone at this point. Now he was back to yesterday morning, wondering if Papyrus had killed himself.

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

Sans picked up the phone.

 **"Hello? Sans? I, um..."**

Alphys.

 **"There's some footage, ah well...I don't know if I should show it to you, but-"**

 **"it's papyrus, isn't it?"**

The line was silent for a while.

 **"Do you w-want to see it? It's the only time you'll be able to see him again...I j-just thought I'd give you the chance."**

 **"yeah...i'll be right over."**

It wasn't a good idea; Sans knew that. Watching the video was gonna hurt like hell, but it was better than letting his imagination tear him apart.

He took a shortcut to Alphys' lab and tried to keep his eyes from tearing up. Alphys didn't jump in surprise this time. She motioned him over to the monitor and went upstairs without saying anything.

 **"EVERYONE CAN BE A GREAT PERSON IF THEY TRY!"**

 _It WAS my fault._

Sans wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

 **"This movie sucks!"**

 **"wha-"**

The small skeleton turned in his chair and saw Flowey perched beside his skull eating popcorn.

 _How'd he get here?_

 _Where'd he get that?_

 **"BOOOOOOO!"** shouted Flowey, putting a leaf up to his mouth. Flowey took some of Alphys' paperwork with a vine and threw it at the screen.

 **"hey-"**

 **"This movie's crap! Where's the blood? Where's the violence? Where's the explosions?"**

 **"knock it off flowey..."**

 **"Oh that's right.** **The Great Papyrus is harmless isn't he?"**

Sans' eye began to glow.

 **"Mmm, Ten gold says he dies at the end,"** said Flowey with his mouth full.

Sans knocked the popcorn out of his leaves.

 **"HEY!"**

 **"get lost weed."**

Flowey put on a hurt face. **"That's no way to treat your brother's best friend!** **Especially when it's YOUR fault he's dead. Hee hee hee!"**

 _How does he know that?!_

 **"how did you-"**

Flowey put a leaf up to his head as if in salute, and puffed out his stem. **"As Pappy's bestest and closest friend, it is my duty to-"**

 **"i got it."**

 **"I'm not finished-"**

 **"you're awfully chipper for someone who's about to die."**

Flowey laughed. **"Me? Die? You forget Smiley,** **I own this world!"** Flowey's laugh turned maniacal as he coiled around Sans' chair.

 **"you've either gone nuts, or you have a plan."**

 **"You should be nicer to me Smiley, the position for bestest friend has opened up and I've got some pretty high standards..."**

 _He has a plan._

 **"You and I are going on a little hunt Trashbag. Me and Papyrus used to do this allll the time!"** said Flowey grinning.

 **"we can't kill the kid."**

 **"It's not a kid we're after, it's souls. We're going soul gathering, yaaaay!"** Flowey threw his leaves up and waved them around, cheering.

 **"soul gathering? you want the king's souls? what for?"**

Only Boss Monsters could absorb souls, this Sans knew for a fact. Why would Flowey want them?

 **"To absorb of course! Didn't Papy tell you anything about me? I'm not a monster..."**

 **"i don't think asgore will give up the souls that easily."**

 **"Then I guess we'll have to wait till he's desperate huh? Let's follow the brat until he gets close to the Judgment Hall,"** said Flowey smiling.

 **"if you're just following the kid, why do you need me at all?"**

 **"Because Numbskull, I need someone to distract the old man if things go south. He might do something stupid and try to absorb the souls himself."**

 _You better be a good fighter, Smiley..._

 **"why shouldn't he? he's a boss monster-"**

 **"And a wuss. He'd spend the entire fight trying to talk to the little demon,** **and we all know how well that worked out for Papyrus now don't we?"**

 **"whatever."**

 **"Don't 'whatever' me scumbag! Papyrus may have tripped up, but you're the one who stuck your foot out."** Flowey poked Sans in the chest with a vine. **"I don't want any screw ups or misunderstandings so we're going to set some ground rules."**

Sans nodded.

 _Whatever gets us outta here faster._

 **"Rule one: I don't wanna hear any of that judgmental crap spewing from your mouth. That's what killed Papyrus. Not that I'd ever die to please you, I'm nowhere near that pathetic."**

 _Please me?_

 **"Rule Two: don't expect me to take a bullet for you in any way shape or form. If you screw up, I will throw you under the bus-"**

 **"i got it-"**

 **"And I will pay that bus driver to back up over you for wasting my time."**

 **"..."**

 **"That's it. Only two rules. Oh wait! I added one more earlier-"**

 **"look-"**

 **"If you ever...EVER, ffffucking betray me...I will fireboard you."**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"...may i speak?"**

 **"Sure buddy! What's in your noggin?"** said Flowey winking and sticking his tongue out.

 **"what if this doesn't work?"**

 **"Rule four: no stupid questions."**

Flowey brought the Underground's cameras up.

 _Where are ya' you little bastard..._

 **"there they are!"** cried Sans, pointing at the screen.

 **"Heh heh heh! Alright, go team Thornberry!"**

 _We're coming for YOU, brat..._

 **"thornberry?"**

 **"Because I have thorns and you look like a blueberry."** Flowey uncoiled from around the chair and wrapped himself around Sans instead.

 **"gah!"**

 **"Don't be a baby. Let's go! Onwards to victory!"** yelled Flowey pointing his leaf forwards.

 _This is so gonna suck._

Sans took a shortcut to Waterfall.

 **"Oh my god! Are you stupid?! Don't freaking teleport!"**

 **"why not?"**

 **"Because you wind up in a random place in the area you want to go to! I've watched you on those lab monitors Smiley! I KNOW they're random!"** scolded Flowey.

 **"yeah, but the chances that we'll end up right in front of the kid are-"**

 **"You want to risk the world on a gamble?"**

 **"i thought you liked gambling?"** said Sans smiling.

 **"I like living more. No more 'shortcuts' unless I say."**

Sans nodded. **"alright, you're a real** _ **card**_ **though** _ **,**_ **you know that?"**

 **"No."**

 **"i hope i can count on you when the chips are down."**

 **"Stop it."**

A bright flash of light suddenly lit up the caves of Waterfall, blinding both Flowey and Sans.

 **"Ugh! Damn it!"**

 **"was that an attack? whose** _ **bright**_ **idea was it to use that in the darkest area of the underground?"**

Flowey said nothing. He merely rubbed at his eyes and blinked, trying to see what was ahead.

It was difficult due to all the dust flying about in the air. It covered Waterfall like a thick fog in some places and he was worried that the vast amount would send one of them into a coughing fit, giving away their position, but eventually his eyes adjusted and he was relieved to see Chara up on a bridge far above him and Sans. Apparently a fight was going on between them and Undyne.

The child was having a lot of trouble dodging the hundreds of spears aimed at them and Flowey was surprised that they hadn't died yet of blood loss.

He was also surprised to see that Chara didn't have a spear like every other reset. The small human was forced to run and dodge Undyne's attacks instead of blocking them.

 **"TAKE THIS PUNK!"**

 _PHEW!_

 _PHEW!_

Two spears thrown.

 **"UHH AH!"** Chara's arm was sliced opened, while another one pierced their leg. They wouldn't be running anywhere anymore.

 _Why didn't she give me a spear to make things fair like all the other times?!_

 _PHEW!_

 _PHEW!_

 _PHEW!_

Three more spears went whizzing through the air.

 **"AAAHHHHH!"** Chara rolled out of the way of the first two, but the third pinned their hand to the ground.

 **"UNDYNE STOP!"**

 **"Huh?!"** Undyne turned around to see who was talking and found no one. **"Who's there?!"**

 **"DOWN HERE UNDYNE!"** yelled Sans from the bottom of the bridge.

 **"Sans?"**

 **"DON'T KILL THE KID!"**

 _She might survive if she walks away right now, but if she doesn't..._

 **"THEY KILLED PAPYRUS! ALPHYS SHOWED ME!"** yelled Undyne angrily.

 **"THAT DOESN'T MATTER! THAT KID-"**

 **"DOESN'T MATTER?! PAPYRUS MAY NOT HAVE MEANT ANYTHING TO YOU, BUT I CARED ABOUT HIM!"** Undyne let out another battle cry and threw another spear missing entirely; her rage and grief consumed her and her tears made it hard to see. All she wanted was revenge and to stop the human from taking any more lives.

Papyrus had called her and warned her about the human earlier. He told her that beating them was impossible and she should help evacuate others instead, but then he...

She saw him on the monitor.

She had felt so guilty about the trial she agreed to evacuate the citizens first and THEN go fight the human. She planned to help out as many people as she could as a favor to her trainee.

But then she saw him on the monitor.

How Papyrus confronted the human, how the human screamed at him, WARNED him that he was going to kill him, and how the skeleton had ignored the warning; offering a hug instead.

 _He offered them friendship! He gave them a chance to change and they...!_

 **"GRRRAHH!"** Undyne threw another spear, but she missed again.

 _People like him aren't suppose to die! It isn't fair! He didn't even put up a fight!_

 _He didn't want to fight..._

She mourned for Papyrus, and felt guilty as well. She should have never asked someone like Papyrus to find a human!

What was she thinking?

What made her think he stood any chance in hell?

 **"Let the idiot die, Smiley."**

 **"IF YOU KILL THE KID, THEY'LL COME BACK!"** shouted Sans desperately.

Undyne was Papyrus's friend; at least that's what Sans thought. Even though she took Papyrus to trial, he still refused to kill her. She HAD to have meant something to him. If Sans couldn't protect his brother, maybe he could protect his brother's friends instead.

 **"I KNOW BUT-"**

 _1134_

 **"*Gasp!* UNDYNE!"**

Undyne's spear fell from her hands, and she dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach. **"Y-You..."**

Chara glared at her from the ground, breathing hard. Their hand was ripped in two.

They struggled to stand up, holding their damaged arm.

 **"undyne..."**

 **"Ugh! *gasp!*"**

The child kicked Undyne in the stomach and off of the bridge; she fell to the ground at Sans feet, her body splashing apart like a raindrop hitting the pavement.

 **"How many people are you gonna kill today Smiley?** **You know Papyrus has a headcount of five per night..."**

Sans stared into the big pile of goo that used to be his brother's friend. **"i'm so sorry undyne..."**

Another person was dead now because of him.

 _Heh, maybe killing's in my blood..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _I've spent too much time with Papyrus and Flowey._

 **"Good thing the brat's injured and all the way up there. I may have had to throw you under that bus. HA HA HA HA HA!"**

Chara turned around and limped to the next area, bleeding a trail of red that dripped from the bridge.

 **"They may not last long against Mettaton. They didn't get a lot of EXP from the Ruins, or ANY EXP from Snowdin except from-"**

 **"we gotta stop mettaton!"** said Sans preparing to take a shortcut back to the lab. He needed to find out where Mettaton was on those monitors and get to him before the kid did.

 **"Why? It doesn't matter if the brat's injured when they get to me, I'll still wreck their face,"** said Flowey nonchalantly.

 **"maybe i wanna save as many lives as i can."**

He took them both back to the Lab.

 **"And get us killed in the process? How bout' NO?"** said Flowey. He used a vine to grab hold of a pipe inside of Alphys' broken wall, keeping Sans away from the monitors.

 **"let go of me!"**

 **"Don't be stupid! Think about the mission! If either of us dies, the world is doomed!"**

 **"we have to save mettaton! we have to save SOMEONE!"**

So many people were dying around him. It felt like the Underground was becoming a cemetery. It felt like it was becoming a place of dust and silence; a tomb or a mass grave he himself was responsible for.

 _If it weren't for me all those people would still be alive. If I had just let Papyrus be himself, he would have killed the kid and everyone would have been safe, maybe even free if the kid's soul worked on the barrier._

 **"Oh my god! You're so worried about saving lives, that you're putting them in danger, idiot!** **What would your brother say if he still had a head?"**

 **"he'd say, 'get off my brother before i tear YOUR head off!'"** said Sans angrily.

 **"What else would he say?!"** yelled Flowey struggling to hold him back. Sans was stronger than he looked...

 **"he'd say...h-he'd say..."**

 _That I was being foolish._

 **"That you're being an idiot."**

Sans stopped his pulling.

 **"y-yeah."**

The more banged up the kid became, the more confident Asgore would become, and the less likely he'd be to listen to them.

 _Is that right though? Am I doing the right thing?_

 _I don't know._

 **"i...can't tell if i'm doing the right thing or not,"** said Sans quietly.

 **"Who cares about right and wrong? Let's get going. You're wasting time."** Flowey let go of the wall and waited for Sans to teleport.

 _Caring about what's right or wrong is a waste of time?_

Sans looked at the control panel near the monitor and turned all the puzzles back on.

 _This should buy me more then._

The puzzles were sure to slow the kid down, and they also still had the Royal Guards to contend with. The skeleton took a shortcut to the Resort Area and wound up in the Resort itself, taking a seat on the edge of the fountain.

 **"Why are we here?"** asked Flowey, confused.

 **"i need some time to think. it'll be awhile until the kid gets through hotland."**

 **"What could possibly be so important that you're willing to try thinking?"**

Sans ignored the insult, resting his chin on his hands. The fountain flowed behind them calm and soothing.

 **"i can't keep doing things without thinking about them. you may not care about right or wrong, but i do."**

Flowey threw him a smug look waving a leaf. **"What do you mean you're doing things without thinking? You think through everything, you're just not good at it."**

 _He's not wrong. I've been screwing up since yesterday._

 **"everything i do winds up backfiring lately,"** said Sans resting his face in his hands. He was tired. He just wanted another Reset. He wanted a timeline where he and his brother could be happy without death hovering over them.

 **"If the things you do backfire, then stop doing things. If you're making bad decisions, stop making decisions. Leave things** _ **alone**_ **."**

 **"leave things alone? even if i think it's wrong?"**

 _How can I do that?_

 **"ESPECIALLY when you think it's wrong,"** said Flowey pointing at Sans.

 **"why though? how can i make things better if i don't help?"**

 **"If you want to help, mind your business. Right and wrong are a matter of perspective Smiley."**

 _Right and wrong are a matter of perspective?_

 _That's an awful mature thing for him to say._

 _Don't tell me there's more to your personality than being an arrogant smartass Flowey..._

 **"Let's say a starving man with a family finds some bread and another starving man with a family needs to steal it or his family will starve. What should be done?"**

 **"i don't know."**

 _He probably doesn't want me to say "go to a shelter."_

 **"Exactly. So mind your business."**

 **"i don't get what you're saying though..."**

 **"Papyrus once told me he killed a human that stole something from Temmie Village. When their soul appeared it was blue which stands for integrity-"**

 **"how could a thief have ANY integrity?"** asked Sans, interrupting Flowey.

 **"BECAUSE people have different views on what's morally right, like with the bread. Is saving your family right? Or is obeying the law right? The answer is both and neither. No one's opinion is golden Trashbag. We all follow our own philosophies."**

 _Whoa...I see why Pap use to hang out with this guy._

 **"wow flowey-"**

 **"At least that's what Pappy used to say,"** said Flowey grinning.

 _Oh, those are Papyrus's words._

 _That makes more sense._

 _The entire thing make sense actually._

 _Wish I had know that BEFORE I opened my mouth. That's...probably his whole point isn't it? Everyone thinks differently, there is no set rules for right and wrong, so I should keep my mouth shut._

 _That's what Papyrus was trying to tell me._

 **"heh heh ha ha ha ha!"**

Sans sudden laughter startled Flowey into falling backwards. Had he not wrapped himself around the comedian's arm, he'd of fallen into the fountain.

 **"What's the big idea Tubby?! Hey!"**

The small skeleton continued to laugh hysterically, getting up and walking towards Hotland.

 **"Where the hell do you think you're going Giggles?! Judgment Hall's that way!"**

 **"i gotta ha ha ha ha! i gotta-"**

 **"Pull yourself together you friggen' psycho!"** Flowey grabbed hold of the Mettaton statue centered in the fountain with his strongest vine. He had dealt with episodes like this before with Papyrus. He knew how strong nut jobs could get when triggered.

 **"i gotta...*huff* i gotta, apola ha ha ha ha! gize to the heh heh ha! kid! the kid!"**

 **"No you don't idiot!** **You're going to ruin EVERYTHING!"** Flowey desperately clung to the statue with all his strength, grunting as Sans took another suicidal step forward. His eyes grew wide with fear as the statue began to bend and break. **"KNOCK IT OFF MORON!"**

 **"HA HA HA HA HA HA!"**

 _CREEAK!_

The statue bent even further, causing the pipe inside to burst and send water spraying all over the floor.

Flowey wanted to bite him or slap him with a vine, but he knew Sans only had one HP. If the skeleton so much as slipped on the water...

 **"SANS STOP!"** Flowey franticly wrapped himself around Sans' body over and over, reeling him in and drawing him towards the edge of the fountain.

 _SPLASH!_

Sans fell into the water, the sudden fall snapping him out of his lunacy.

 **"huh?"** He sat up in the fountain confused and unsure of where he was.

 _What happened?_

 **"Grrah! What's your damage?!"** shouted Flowey in his face.

He looked pissed.

Sans stared at Flowey as if he didn't recognize him. His mind was still reeling and he still couldn't quite remember how to speak.

He stood up steadily, holding onto the fountain for support. Flowey gasped as the statue bent to the right, almost causing Sans to slip and fall to his death.

 _Stupid, weak little-ERMMMPH!_

Finally the skeleton seemed to wake up from his stupor. **"what-what happened?"**

 **"We were having a friendly chat and then you went and lost your god. damn. mind!"**

 **"i what? oh crap the fountain!"**

 **"It was ugly. Get moving. We're going to see the king before you screw anything else up."**

Sans nodded, still not sure of what had happened. He stepped out of the fountain, completely soaked and looked down at his torn clothes.

 _What the hell...?_

 **"I can't believe you did that. You're supposed to be the SANE brother! Ugh...my vines..."**

 _Sane brother?_

 _Wait..._

 **"what happened again?"**

 **"You freaked out and started laughing like a circus clown! I'm telling everyone what you did to that ugly fountain too!"**

Sans took a shortcut back to Alphys' Lab.

 **"WHAT THE HELL?!"**

 **"i just want to see what happened."**

 **"We don't have time for this you moron!"**

Finding the footage with him and Flowey, Sans watched it carefully. He wanted to find out what triggered him so he could avoid a repeat in the future.

 **"There! You see now? Are you happy? You're just like your idiot brother-why are you SMILING? This isn't funny!"**

 **"sorry buddy, hope i didn't scare ya'."**

 _Looks like my guilt got to me._

 _Wow._

 _Still that lesson Flowey, or rather Papyrus taught me was important; I'm glad I came back here._

 **"Can we go now? Please? Without anymore pit stops?"**

Sans nodded and took one last shortcut to the king's Throne Room.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**

 **Balance**

* * *

Flowey took a deep breath relieved that their short journey together was over. **"Finally! I'm NEVER babysitting you again. Do you hear me? NEVER."**

Asgore sat on his throne with his trident in his lap. He didn't seem to see them just yet, even though Flowey was yelling at Sans.

 **"And if the brat Resets before I kill him, I'm telling Pappy everything you did!"**

 **"asgore? you alright?"**

Asgore didn't look up.

Sans hung his head as embarrassed as he was sympathetic. he knew this was probably about Undyne. She and Asgore had trained together, Papyrus had told him.

 **"i'm really sorry about what happened to undyne-"**

 **"You're not the one who should be apologizing Sans,"** said Asgore cutting him off.

If he wasn't mad at Sans, then was it about the kid? Did he want revenge for his student?

 _He's gonna want to kill that kid._

 _Damn it, how do we convince him not to?_

 **"Undyne told me about your brother before she left."**

 _Oh._

 **"it's not a-"**

 **"Did you know, Papyrus was responsible for most of the souls we have here? In fact he may very well be responsible for all of them."** Asgore fiddled with his trident, fingering the flower pattern adorning it. He didn't meet Sans' eyes. **"Your brother was a Horror Font you know. It was he who kept the Underground safe for everyone and worked the hardest to give us hope."**

 _Wait what?_

 **"you knew he was the resort killer?!"**

Asgore shook his head. **"No, but being the racist I am, I suspected as much. *sigh*"**

Flowey poked around in Sans' pockets searching for a snack. This was going to be another drama fest, he could sense it.

 **"I can never apologize to your brother for the things I've done to his and your people, but I can apologize to you."**

 **"neither me or my bro have anything against you. fear makes everyone do stupid things, there are no exceptions,"** said Sans waving him off.

 **"What I've done is unforgivable Sans. I didn't just help destroy Fonts, I helped upset the balance of the entire world."**

The comedian looked at him disbelievingly.

 _That's...a little over the top there buddy._

Asgore took a small red electronic object out of his robe and handed it to Sans. It looked like a small calculator with a case, but it opened up to reveal a screen and had buttons similar to a video game controller. There was a sensor on the top edge and a switch on the side; probably for turning the device on and off.

 **"A long time ago, Fonts were the dominant species on the planet. They ate humans true, but they were far from barbaric. They had a culture just as we all do now; something humans and monsters would like everyone to forget."**

Sans nodded and put the device in the left pocket of his hoodie. He would have to take a look at it later when everything had died down.

 **"Humans and monster would like you to believe Fonts were super powerful beings with the strength to rival gods and devils and that they were near unstoppable tyrants, but that wasn't true,"** said Asgore closing his eyes, **"they had a golden rule just as we all do that kept them in check. It was 'If you become a problem someone will eventually solve you.'"**

 _I thought the golden rule for everyone was "treat people how you want to be treated"?_

 **"what does that mean?"**

 **"It means that no matter how powerful a Font is, there's always another who's better. If someone like Papyrus for example were to abuse his font, another skeleton like...Hush, would put a stop to him."** Asgore thought back to the war when the Horror Font, Hush, had threatened to steal his voice. It had been one of the scariest moments of his life. Hush was just like their namesake, quiet in every way. Asgore didn't even hear them enter his room.

 **"Hush?"**

 **"That's the Silent Font. They can suck the sound out of a room and make people permanently mute. It would make Papyrus's lies useless on others. Supernatural is another Font that could take care of him."** Asgore shuddered was a force to be reckoned with and they STILL gave him nightmares. They killed thousands of humans and monsters with the...creatures they'd summoned ALONE. He remembered being secretly star struck by the Horror and their mastery over magic although they had terrified hm.

Shaking his head of the memory, Asgore pointed to Sans' hoodie. **"That device is a dictionary of every Font ever found. You'll find information about almost any Font in there."**

Sans took the device back out and switched it on. The screen lit up and showed a white screen with tabs.

 **"I've given this to you for a very special reason Sans. I fear that we don't have much time left. If Alphys was right about your teleporting ability, you may be the world's only chance of rebalancing itself."**

The tabs read: Attribute, Type, Raising, Location, Scan, Project, Requirements, Search, Cell, and Help.

The skeleton was tempted to start checking things out, but he knew what the king had to say was probably pretty important if he was talking about the world and all.

 **"When a human dies, their skeleton is the only part of them that doesn't rot away. Those skeletons, when enough magic has been absorbed into them, become Fonts. Humans have taken it upon themselves to bury their dead underground so no more Fonts would arise."**

 **"pap said a baby bones would get a certain font depending on how it's raised..."** said Sans, remembering what his brother had told him.

 **"Nature always has a fail safe in case something big happens. If there's no chance for reproduction, skeletons can still be born another way."**

 _A build up of magic...?_

 **"I want you to get to the surface Sans, and I want you to find a buried Font named Horror. You are to dig Horror up by any means necessary."**

Sans looked a bit worried. This sounded like a quest. He wasn't good at doing things that required work.

 **"where are they? why are they so important?"**

 **"Check your dictionary. The details are all in there."**

Sans used the directional buttons and choose the Search tab. Typing in the name Horror, he waited for the page to load.

Horror: The Fear Font

Attribute: Horror

Type: Legendary

The fear naturally generated by Horror is the strongest of all the Horror Fonts, so much so that no one has seen Horror's true face.

Birds that fly too close to Horror are said to die of fright and drop dead to the ground, and the same can be said of every other living creature who gets too close to Horror's vicinity. Even Horror Fonts can fall victim if they wander too close, with only a few exceptions.

Monsters, Humans, and even Fonts that have fallen into comas are reported to have been awakened by terrible nightmares generated by Horror. Pictures and video footage are also reported to give nightmares, although Horror does not appear well on camera if at all.

It is said that the emotion 'fear' was created by Horror and that they can be killed if every creature forgets 'fear', however that has yet to be proven.

Horror has the ability to change a Normal Font into a Horror Font.

Extreme caution is advised.

Sans put the dictionary away.

 _This is a straight up pokédex..._

 **"I understand you may be concerned with Horror's ability to kill with fright, but you are the world's last hope Sans. Without Fonts, humans will reign supreme, overpopulate, pollute the earth; and ultimately destroy it."**

 **"what makes you think humans won't find a way to kill horror? they got bombs or whatever right?"**

 **"Horror is a Legendary. They can only be killed by special circumstances. Humans settled with burying Horror alive because they COULDN'T find a way to kill them."**

Sans shook his head. **"look pal, you got the wrong skeleton. this is waaay to heavy for someone like me-"**

 **"Agree to take on this trial and I will give you the power to bring your brother back from the dead."**

Sans' mouth fell open.

 _No way. He's lying. He can't bring Papyrus back..._

Asgore took a bottle full of green liquid out of his robe. **"This was given to me by someone I can't quite remember...I was told it could change a skeleton's font."**

 _Change their font?_

 **"This person told me this liquid was the only hope the world had left if one of you two died. I can't remember what font he said this was, but I know it works. It HAS to."**

Sans took the bottle from Asgore.

The liquid inside glowed as if it were radioactive.

 _I don't know what this will turn me into. I don't even know if I'll still be a Normal Font. I could wind up just like Papyrus..._

 **"Sans?"**

 _Papyrus said my font was a big part of my personality. If I stop being Comic Sans, will I not make jokes anymore? Will I not like them? Will I stop being laid back and able to shrug off bad situations?_

 _Will I stop being me?_

 **"Hey Smiley, the old man's talking to you."**

 _Papyrus was willing to try to change for me. He was willing to become someone other than himself for me. He gave his life to make me smile..._

 **"We don't have that much time left Sans-"**

The small skeleton took the top of the bottle and chugged the liquid down. **"UGH!"** Crying out,Sans dropped the empty bottle and it shattered on the floor.

The pain was immediate and intense. It felt like poison was coursing through his blood and attacking his very soul. He fell to his knees clutching the area where his soul was.

 _It's beating so fast!_

 _It hurts..._

 **"Sans?!"**

 **"AAAHHH** **HHHHHHHHHH"**

 **"SANS!"**

Sans eyes lit up bright green. Both of them.

 **"help me..."**

 **"Is this a bad time to talk to you about those souls your Highness?"**

 **"PAPYRUS!"**

The king rushed to Sans' aid. **"I've made a terrible mistake..."**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four:**

 **The Doctor Is In**

* * *

Chara walked into the Judgment Hall feeling confident.

Things had definitely been different in this timeline, but it worked out for the best despite the injuries they were sporting.

Mettaton had been absent this time around. They didn't know why, but it saved them the trouble of killing him. They were rather proud that they had made it past all the obstacles set before them without dying once. They wanted to keep the streak going regardless of how much pain they were in.

Not that they could come back without their normal amount of Determination.

 _Maybe killing Papyrus gave us back our Determination..._

 _Maybe...I hope so._

They may have been proud of themselves but they couldn't deny they were in a tough spot. If they were wrong, they'd die and never come back.

Could they even Reset?

They didn't know.

 _I wish we had found out what Papyrus's font was..._

 _What did he say he had to do sometimes?_

 _I don't remember._

Dwelling on it wouldn't make things any better. They needed to stay positive, optimistic.

 _Maybe Flowey won't kill Father this time and we can take his soul. It would be nice to be able to kill EVERYONE by hand for once._

Walking towards the door to the Throne Room they heard a loud strange laugh coming from the right.

 **"ha ha ha ha..."**

 **"Wh-who's there?!"** called Chara entirely freaked out. This was a voice they had never heard before. It was almost like a high drone, but the laughter was fast. The tone was hard to even place. Papyrus's laugh wasn't nearly as creepy, and that was saying something.

 **You** **'** **ve been busy huh** **?**

Sans stepped out from behind a pillar smiling oddly and flipping a scalpel. He looked totally different from the Sans Chara was used to seeing. His Havelock-blue hoodie, white t-shirt, and black shorts with white stripes, had been replaced with an open doctor's robe smeared with blood; his slippers were replaced with black shoes, and his eyes glowed a bright neon green like the eyes of a black cat.

 _What the fuuuuhh..._

 **"like my new look kid** **?"**

 **"Wh-what happened?"**

 **"what** **? t** **his** **?** **I was helping out some other kids. don't worry about it,"** said Sans wiping his bloody hands on his robe.

 _Helping out some other kids?_

 **"tell me something** **,** **do you think even the worst person can change** **?** **that everyone can be a good person if they just try** **?"**

Chara took a step back.

 **"You're not Sans..."**

Sans pointed the scalpel in their direction.

 **"you know** **,** **you may be right about that. what IS my name** **?"** Sans took a small red device from the pocket of his robe and opened it up. He hit something and turned the thing around until it was facing him and then a beam of green light scanned the skeleton before stopping.

 _What is that thing?_

 _It can't be a FontSearch..._

 **"interesting** **!** **wanna know what it says** **?"**

Sans hit something on the device and it began to drone in a mechanical voice.

Pulse Sans: The Frankenstein Font

Attribute: Horror

Type: Legendary

Although this Horror is usually covered in blood, Pulse Sans is a medicinal helper by nature. They enjoy healing injuries and can even bring the dead back to life using the energy from their own soul and a biotic sample.

They have been known to frequent hospitals and laboratories regardless of whether or not they have been abandoned, and are often sought after by people looking for medical miracles.

Pulse Sans has been mistakenly called the "Immortal Font" by some due to their phenomenally high HP and their ability to restore it at incredible speeds by absorbing the life energy around them. Beware that in battle this font can just as easily stop your pulse as they can start it by raising it to unsafe levels.

 _That IS a FontSearch!_

 **"pulse sans huh** **?** **not bad..."**

Chara began to back away from Sans slowly.

They had studied Fonts obsessively and they knew how dangerous Legendaries were.

 **"where ya** **'** **going bucko** **?** **don** **'** **t leave** **,** **you** **'** **re injured..."**

 **"I don't need your help!"**

 **"you** **'** **re going to need somebody** **'** **s help** **,** **because i** **'** **m gonna tear you apart..."**

 **"Leave me alone!"**

 **"don** **'** **t be shy. doesn** **'** **t your hand hurt** **?** **I can help you..."**

Chara ran from the room as fast as they could. They had the Determination to keep going, but they weren't stupid. They could hit Sans over and over again, and it wouldn't do any good. They needed a plan this time. It didn't matter how many times they reloaded if they were still an unstoppable force meeting an unmovable object, and that was if they COULD reload.

Sans followed them all the way back to Snowdin, stopping only to gather his brother's clothes.

 _Can I really bring my brother back to life? He still has some of the bones he's grown out of in his room. I could use those..._

He decided to return home. It would take forever for Chara to reach Asgore now. By then Flowey would be ready for them...if Sans didn't catch them first.

Opening the front door to his house, Sans walked upstairs and went into Papyrus's bedroom.

His brother's bones lay in a box in a corner nearby. It was a huge relief to see that Papyrus, although not a packrat, still kept his old bones from when he was younger. Some of them were quite small making Sans smile. Losing old bones to skeletons was like losing baby teeth to monsters. They held sentimental value.

Sans took a deep breath to prepare himself. If fonts didn't work on other skeletons, was this a waste of time? Did a small bone even count as a skeleton, or did it need magic in it or a soul? He didn't know and it was scary as hell.

 _I need to calm down...stay optimistic._

 _I'm so dizzy...is this even a good idea?_

He still wasn't feeling too good from that green stuff he had drank earlier, he didn't want to pass out and doom everyone.

 _No, no this is the only time I can do this. If the kid gets to Asgore before I do we're done. I don't have time to rest._

 _This better work._

Picking up a bone, Sans closed his eyes and placed a hand in front of his chest. It began to move as if it were a heart, beating harder and harder each time he sent out a burst of magic. Eventually he felt his body become lighter and opened his eyes to see that he held his own soul in his hand.

It glowed bright neon green, just like his eyes.

 _Creepy..._

 _Now what? I followed my instincts up to this point, but now nothing's coming to mind._

Sans hovered his soul over the bone, hoping it would have some effect. Green energy from his soul began to crawl over it like living strings and Sans felt himself getting weaker.

 _I'm using my energy just like the dictionary said! It's gotta be working!_

The bone in his hand turned green and began to grow brighter and brighter, to the point where Sans couldn't look at it anymore.

When he opened his eyes, his brother was laying on the ground in front of him unconscious.

 _It worked._

 _I can't believe it worked._

 **"bro** **!** **papyrus** **,** **you** **'** **re okay** **!"** Sans hugged his brother tightly to him, cradling his skull as if he were an infant.

 **"S-Sans...?"**

 _CLACK!_

The doctor kissed his little brother's forehead, ecstatic to hear his voice. " **hey pap...how are you feeling** **?"**

Papyrus looked at him with wide eyes. **"How am I feeling? How are YOU feeling? You look horrible!"**

 **"heh heh ha ha ha** **!"**

 **"No really. For a split second while my eyes were still closed, I thought the devil was speaking to me."**

Sans handed Papyrus his clothes and waited until he was dressed. His brother kept stealing glances his way, worried.

 _What is this?!_

 _His aura's completely changed!_

 **"I appear to be missing something from my wardrobe,"** said Papyrus pulling on his gloves.

 **"i think the kid took your scarf."**

 _His voice has really changed. I can understand him but...what is that accent?_

 **"Little thief. Your influence?"**

 **"i** **'** **m not a thief** **!"** said Sans. He wobbled a bit as his head suddenly felt foggy.

 **"Brother?!"**

 **"i** **'** **m fine pap. just a little dizzy."**

 **"Why? What did you do?"** asked Papyrus sternly. His brother had to of done something. He had died. He _knew_ he had died.

 **"what do you mean** **?"** asked Sans averting his eyes. He didn't want to tell Papyrus what happened just yet. The last conversation they had was about Horror Fonts being sick in the head. how would his brother react if he knew Sans had permanently changed into something he didn't like, for him?

 **"I know I died out there Sans. What did you do?"**

 **"it doesn** **'** **t matter bro** **,** **leave it alone."**

 **"Absolutely not. You did something to your-..."**

Sans eyes glowed angrily and involuntarily.

 **"..."**

 _He's a Horror Font._

 **"Sans..."**

 _He turned himself into a Horror._

Papyrus hugged his brother tightly. He couldn't believe it. After everything Sans had said about Horror Fonts he was still willing to turn himself into one to save his life.

 _WAS that the reason?_

 **"Are you okay?"**

 **"yeah."**

 _What Font is he?_

 _He probably doesn't want to talk about it._

 **"Listen brother, like you said, we can get therapy. We can go together and you'll be back to your old lazy self in no time!"** said Papyrus patting his brother's shoulder.

 **"i** **'** **m sorry pap."**

 **"Sorry? What for? You saved me. Are you sorry you saved me? Nyeh heh heh...that's rather cruel-"**

 **"i** **'** **m sorry about what i said about horror fonts. i didn** **'** **t know what the hell i was talking about."**

 **"Please don't change your opinion just because-"**

Sans took out the dictionary and gave it to Papyrus.

 _What on earth..._

 **"This is..."** Papyrus turned the dictionary over. **"Where the friggen' hell did you get a FontSearch?"**

The smaller skeleton didn't say anything.

 **"May I?"** asked Papyrus, his thumb over the scan button.

Sans nodded.

 **"..."**

 **...**

 **"Pulse Sans?! Goodness! I'm so proud of you brother! Congratulations, you're a Legendary!"** cheered Papyrus hugging his brother again. This was great! This was the proof he'd been needing for years. Horror Fonts were useful and not all of them were sick. HE wasn't sick!

And his brother! His brother was not only a Legendary, but he was Pulse Sans! A Font with nearly unlimited HP. A Font that was almost impossible to kill. Nothing could touch his brother now. Even if Papyrus made a mistake, his brother was near invincible.

Sans smiled as his brother picked him up and swung him around. He hadn't seen Papyrus that happy in a long time, if ever.

 _He's really proud of me?_

 _Oh that's right! I went from one HP to basically infinite HP! He's probably ecstatic._

 _Good._

 _If he's happy, I'm happy._

 _CLACK!_

 _CLACK!_

 _CLACK!_

Papyrus covered his brother in kisses, beaming.

 **"hey** **!** **ha ha ha** **!"**

 **"This is wonderful! I'm so happy for you! Nyeh heh heh heh ha ha ha!"**

 _He's safe! He's safe forever! I don't have to worry about losing him ever again!_

 _Unless..._

Papyrus put Sans down.

 **"Where's the human?"**

 **"i don** **'** **t know bro** **,** **but they** **'** **re gonna reach Asgore eventually."**

Papyrus headed downstairs and out the front door, his eyes glowing orange.

 _No._

 _No they're not._


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five:**

 **Making Friends**

* * *

 _THUMP!_

 _THUMP!_

 _THUMP!_

Chara ran as fast as they could to Waterfall as soon as they heard the door to Sans' house shut, their little shoes pounding on the docks. They were exhausted, but they had to keep going.

They had previously run all the way to Snowdin and hid behind the shed, breathing heavily and praying that Sans wouldn't find them. The pudgy little skeleton reminded them of a character called Fat Albert. He looked out of shape, but he was a rocket car in disguise. They had no idea how they beat him to Snowdin.

They could still make it. If they could get to the Throne Room before Sans got through doing...whatever it was he was doing..they could win.

They didn't need to Reset.

Not yet.

 _I need a better weapon, this glove won't cut it._

 _Are the ballet shoes still here?_

They were.

 **"Yes!"**

Chara took the rotting feet out of the shoes and put them on. They fit perfectly, and now the child had a complete outfit. The dusty tutu was still in the same place as well and they had put it on earlier.

 **"Hey, those are mine!"**

Chara jumped as a little girl's voice spoke to them out of nowhere. The voice echoed throughout the area, almost drowned out by the waterfall.

 **"give me back my shoes..."**

 **"Who's there?!"**

 **"Gimme my feet back too!"**

The same terrifying aura Papyrus had given off was surrounding him again.

 _Is there another Horror Font in the area?!_

The human ran from the small patch of grass, their feet made no noise on the dock due to the ballet shoes...

But someone else's did.

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKIRTCH!_

A terrible scraping sound could be heard behind them. It gave them goose bumps like nails on a chalk board.

 **"Give me back my shoes!"**

Spinning around, Chara gasped as they saw what looked like a little girl, charred to a crisp, crawling towards them. She was dripping wet as if she had just got out of the water and her hair did little to hide her blackened face.

 _What is this?!_

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

Her exposed bones made a scratching sound on the dock as she crawled towards Chara, her dead eyes locked on the ballet shoes. She didn't have any shoes of her own, in fact...

Her feet were missing.

 **"Go away!"** yelled Chara, not wanting to touch a zombie.

 **"GIVE ME BACK MY SHOES!"** roared the little girl.

Chara tried to attack her and kick the girl into the water, only to have their foot caught in her mouth.

 **"AAAHHHHH!"**

The child screamed as her teeth came down on their foot. The once pink shoe turned a dark red as blood pooled inside it. The girl had definitely bitten off at least one of their toes.

 _CRUNCH!_

 _CRUNCH!_

Chara watched in horror and screamed in agony as the little girl chewed on their foot. Blood dripped from her mouth and fell onto the dock, seeping between the planks. The little girl smiled happily.

 **"mmmm!"**

 _She likes it?_

 _I thought zombies liked brains!_

With a shriek Chara pulled their foot back, the ballet shoe coming off in her mouth.

The girl emptied the contents of her shoe, spilling three of Chara's toes onto the dock. Picking them up, she popped them into her mouth and chewed them slowly one at a time; savoring their taste.

The human took off the other shoe and threw it at the girl. It smacked her dead in the face, but she didn't react. She was enraptured by the taste of Chara's toes.

 _I need to get out of here. I can't afford to punch her and lose my hand._

Chara stood up shakily and started to run, but the first two steps left them dizzy.

They had lost so much blood...

The head injury, the cuts, the split hand and punctured leg all proved to be too much when combined with their missing toes.

Chara fell off the dock and into the icy water below.

 **"Are you awake yet?"**

The child woke up in a cave that stank of rotting meat. They were soaking wet and freezing.

 **"Are you okay?"**

Looking around they noticed a little girl in a powder blue dress sitting near them on her knees.

Chara struggled to move and winced in pain as lightning shot through their arm.

 **"Don't try to move, you're hurt real bad."**

They ignored the girl and tried again. This time they were able to sit up, though their head was spinning like a top.

Their arm, hand, and leg each had a bandage around them. Most of their cuts were healed too. Checking their HP, Chara found that it was full.

 _Did this girl help me?_

 **"You fell from a waterfall. I brought you here."**

Chara looked at her and noticed her skull had been smashed in.

 _She's a zombie too._

 **"You kinda look like me. Are you like me too?"**

Chara shook their head.

 **"Oh..."**

The young girl looked disappointed.

 **"I've not seen zombies in the Underground before. At least not in this area. Why are you here?"**

The girl in blue played with the ribbons in her hair. **"I don't know. Am I a zombie? Do you know who I am?"**

 _She doesn't know who she is..._

 **"What's the last thing you remember?"**

Normally Chara wouldn't care about anyone's life story, but this timeline was special. Killing everything in it would be a waste without finding out all the mysteries. Even if they did make it to the surface this time, wiping out a bunch of worthless humans wouldn't get rid of the questions circulating in their brain.

 **"I remember a skeleton waking up the others and then leaving."**

 _Sans._

 **"Where are the others?"**

 **"I don't know."**

 **"What are their names?"**

 **"I don't know."**

 **"What do they look like?"**

 **"I don't remember. They were all blurry anyway. I need my glasses..."**

 _Stupid girl is just as dumb as the kids in the orphanage. Every answer is gonna be "I don't know" isn't it?_

Chara sighed. This girl was useless. All they knew is that a bunch of zombies ran off and Sans was the one who brought them to life.

 _Weird Font, what was he trying to do?_

 **"Since we're friends, can you help me find my glasses?"**

 **"No."**

 _How much time has passed?_

The bandaged child got up and tried to walk outside only to get dizzy again and stumble against the cave wall. Propping themselves up and using the wall as support, they continued, what little Determination they had left flashing in their eyes.

 **"Hey Dora, where's your monkey?"**

Chara felt a sharp pain in their chest and gasped in surprise as they were pulled out of their body.

 _Who the FUCK said that?!_

Chara blinked in confusion finding themselves floating above the ground and they noticed with shock that Frisk _wasn't._ It didn't take Chara long to figure out what had happened.

Frisk had somehow taken back control of their own soul.

They turned towards the voice and immediately threw a punch in that direction; they didn't care who or what they were attacking.

Nobody called Frisk Dora.

 **"UGH!"**

Whoever Frisk attacked, cried out in pain and went soaring into the water.

It happened so fast Chara couldn't even tell who they were, but it sounded like another kid.

 _Fuck that kid!_

Frisk shook their fist, trying to get rid of the pain they'd caused themselves, while Chara cheered.

 _Way to go Partner!_

Chara was so proud of Frisk, they didn't mind losing control of their body. It had been so long since Frisk had done anything but sigh whenever a monster was killed...

 **"Get up."** Frisk kicked whoever they punched in the side, causing them to roll over.

 **"nnnn..."** The person stood up slowly, holding the left side of their head where Frisk had punched them.

It was a boy. A boy in a cowboy outfit who was missing the top part of their skull and looked as burnt as the girl with no feet, his brain seemed unscorched for some reason, but it was still gross.

 _ANOTHER zombie?_

 _How many are there?_

Frisk threw another punch, sending the cowboy into a garbage pile.

 **"Hey! Friends shouldn't fight!"**

They turned towards the girl in blue and was suddenly tackled into the water.

 _SPLASH!_

 **"You stupid little prick! I'll kill you!"**

Hands wrapped around Frisk's throat and they growled struggling to free themselves from their grasp.

 _The bottle!_

 _Frisk use the bottle!_

Frisk spotted a bottle near their hand and reached out for it, stretching as far as they could.

 **"Stop it! Stop it or I'm telling!"**

Frisk's fingers found the neck of the bottle and they rolled it into their hand just as the world was beginning to fade to black.

 _SMASH!_

The bottle broke on the cowboy's head, but he only slackened his grip.

 _Stab em'!_

 _Stab em' Frisk!_

 **"AUGH ACK!"** Frisk shoved the broken end of the bottle into the cowboy's throat and punched him off their stomach. Grabbing their vest they lifted him up and head butted him in the nose like they'd seen on tv.

It didn't hurt their head the first time, so they did it again; the third time however hurt and they stopped, dropping the cowboy into the water.

 **"ACK AUK!"**

Frisk looked at the kid and headed back into the cave hoping to find leftovers of whatever the girl in blue had given them to restore their HP.

That's what the little punk got for messing with an orphan.

 _WHOO! That was awesome!_

Frisk was proud of themselves but they didn't smile, trash talk, or strike any pose's.

That wasn't cool.

Cool kids didn't show off. They played it chill, like they got into fights everyday and it was no big deal. Like they were mature adults taking care of some personal business.

As Chara cheered them on, Frisk silently scanned the cave looking for food, but found nothing. Disappointed, they sat down in a corner cold and hungry.

 **"Are you okay? Cowboy is really mean, but he's a good friend I think."**

Chara took back control from Frisk and got up again.

They needed to visit a shop and get some HP restoring items and a new weapon too.

The girl in blue followed them out of the cave. **"Do you really have a monkey? Can I play with it?"**

 **"Go away."**

 **"Friends should stick together."**

 **"I'm not your friend."**

 **"You might be if I stay with you longer. Friends are nice to have."**

Chara could have killed her, but if she really wanted to follow them, maybe he could use her to distract any more zombies they came across.

They didn't want to lose any more toes. It was hard to walk as it was. Every step hurt and made them feel like they could pass out at any moment.

 _We should Reset._

 _No, I can do it!_

 _This is dumb._

 _Determination Partner._

 _You can be determined next run._

 _No, we don't even know if we CAN Reset._

Gerson's shop was closest even though he sold nothing but garbage. It was the second worst shop in the Underground, but at least he had food that wasn't Temmie Flakes. They stopped there to pick up some Crab Apples and the girl got excited when she saw her glasses and notebook on display.

 **"Ooohh oooh! Those are my glasses!"**

 **"These are yours little girl? Wah ha ha ha! Well i did get them from a skeleton with no eyes so maybe that's true. Take them."**

The girl squealed happily and put on her glasses.

 **"Can I have my notebook too?"**

 **"How do I know it's your notebook?"**

The little girl thought really hard, trying to remember what was in her notebook. It wasn't just her name she'd forgotten, all her memories were fuzzy.

 **"It had flowers in it?"**

 **"You don't seem too sure of that."**

The girl in blue's face broke and she began to cry.

She didn't know why, but she felt like she'd be in trouble if she didn't get her notebook back.

Her tears poured out black and dirty, as she howled.

 **"Easy lass! Easy! Come here and let me take a look at you..."**

She walked up to Gerson without hesitation.

 **"Oh my! Well, well well..."**

The old turtle looked at her head, smiled, and handed her the notebook. **"Wait right here would ya'? Ol' Gerson wants to give you two a special present..."**

Chara glared at him suspiciously.

Every other time Chara talked to Gerson he acted cheerful and yet somehow aloof, now he was giving things away to human-looking children? When there was a thick layer of dust in the air where they were standing? It was true, the dust on Chara had been washed away with the water, but the turtle wasn't stupid...

When Gerson came back, Chara backed up half expecting him to be holding a bomb.

 **"Wha ha ha! Easy kid! This isn't a trap, it's something very special. You might even recognize it!"** Gerson held out to Chara, a FontSearch. Turning it on Chara looked at it, amazed.

 **"It's as old as I am, but I reckon' it still works. Point it at the young missy there an' hit Scan."**

 _What?_

 _FontSearches only work on Fonts though..._

Chara hit Scan on the device and pointed it towards the girl in blue.

Stranger Danger: The Friendly Font

Attribute: Horror

Type: Terminal

Always looking to make a friend, Stranger Danger will approach anyone regardless of whether or not they think they're dangerous, often getting themselves into trouble and causing them to lead relatively short lives.

They will not only extend the hand of friendship to Fonts, but also to Monsters, Humans, and even animals and insects; excluding no one. Once they meet someone, they will never forget them. However, be aware that Stranger Danger is a traveler. After befriending a creature they will quickly move on to another, meaning their friendships are always long distance.

Strangely enough, this font prefers to befriend people they deem to be a potential threat. They have the ability to spot these people making them invaluable to law enforcement and many other occupations. The reasons for their seemingly suicidal tendencies are varied.

 **"Stranger Danger eh? That explains why you're hanging out with them. You poor girl..."**

 **"This font sucks. I hate it."**

Chara shut off the FontSearch and put it in their inventory.

 **"Well lass, your font depends entirely on your state of mind. It can be changed if you work hard."**

 **"How do I change it?"**

 **"Well in your case I'd say stop runnin' around with dangerous people. Do something besides trying to make friends,"** said Gerson patting her head. **"You know the Requirements tab will tell you what you need to do to become a certain Font..."**

Chara began to leave.

 **"Hey wait for me!"**

 **"*Sigh* That poor lass..."**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**

 **Lying in the Spotlight**

* * *

 _Where are they?_

 **"HUMAN!"**

Papyrus called for Chara for the tenth time while heading towards the Throne Room.

He had no idea if the child was ahead of him or behind and it was frustrating.

 **"I will catch you, Human..."**

Chara was the last one.

The last threat to his brother.

If Sans still wanted him to be a good person, he would just have to suck it up. Papyrus already went down that route and here he was finding dust...everywhere.

 _Little savage._

 **"Human!"**

 **"They're not here darling. I'd of caught them on my scanner..."**

Papyrus stopped instantly and turned around. **"Who's there?! Show yourself!"**

Laughter echoed throughout Waterfall.

 **"Heh heh ha ha ha! My! Someone's itching for a fight..."**

 _Mettaton._

Papyrus turned around and kept walking.

 **"Leaving so soon darling?"**

Papyrus ignored him.

 **"Hmph. I take it you're not a fan?"**

 **"Of your music, yes. Of your ego, no."**

 **"*Gasp!* I don't have an ego!"**

 **"And I don't have the patients to deal with you. Either help me find the human or go back to whatever rock you crawled off of."**

Mettaton flew in front of the bridge and put his hands on his hips. He obviously didn't plan on letting Papyrus by.

 _Is he REALLY trying to intimidate ME?_

 _Unbelievable._

 _He thinks just because he got a few upgrades, no one can put him on the ground..._

 **"Excuse me please, I believe you're in my way."**

 **"Oh, now you want to be charming? Funny how you didn't feel like it while I was all the way up there..."**

 **"Are you looking for a fight or just attention? Most of the Underground has been evacuated to the Lab-"**

 **"I was GOING to offer my assistance."** said Mettaton thoroughly annoyed. **"Hotland's puzzles have been reactivated."**

 **"** **You're kidding..."**

 _God, I hate Hotland._

 **"Would I lie to you? I COULD carry you over to the castle. I could fly right over those obnoxious little puzzles, but..."**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"...If you expect me to beg, I will not."**

 **"Ugh! What is with you?!"**

 _Could this metal peacock really get me to His Highness faster though?_

 _Perhaps I should give it a go. After all, if I don't swallow my pride am I any better than him?_

 **"I'm sorry Mettaton. I was going for the treat-woman-like -garbage-so-they'll-like-you tactic, but it clearly backfired. I hope you can forgive me,"** said Papyrus hanging his head.

 _This had better work._

 **"I'm not a woman!"** exclaimed Mettaton sticking his nose up in the air.

Papyrus could feel his anger beginning to take control of him, but he kept his smile plastered to his face.

 **"Really? You're so beautiful I thought for sure you were female. I guess people WEREN'T calling you a guy because they were jealous. Nyehoo! I'm so embarrassed!"** lied Papyrus, hiding his face in his gloves.

Mettaton put a hand on his shoulder, feeling sorry for the poor creature. **"Oh sweetie! Is that what you thought? You are such a dear,"** said Mettaton giggling. **"and might I add an amazing actor! I may just ask you to be in my new movie..."**

Papyrus's eyes lit up. He was going to need his font for this; he could _feel_ it.

 **"Wowie! You mean it? Even after I was so mean?"**

 **"Of course darling! Anything for such a talented fan...personally I found you very attractive..."**

 _Ugh. I'm not even on the conveyor belts and I'm still gonna be sick. Who does this arrogant fool think he is? I have higher standards than that! My brother has a better chance of getting a ride in my race car..._

Papyrus tapped into his font and put up an illusion of him blushing.

 **"Here you go sweetheart. Hop on and I'll take you right to Asgore. Don't be shy..."**

Papyrus hopped onto Mettaton's back and they took off.

He had to admit, it was better than traversing Hotland on foot. He liked puzzles, but those in Hotland were just plain bad.

Nothing there took any amount of physical skill. The conveyor belts moved you everywhere too fast and you couldn't even jump on your own; there were spring loaded squares that did that for you. EVERYTHING was done for you.

The most challenging parts of Hotland were the lasers and maybe ONE of the shooting puzzles.

Papyrus shook his head in disgust and decided to strike up a conversation with Mettaton.

 _It's better than dwelling on these horrible puzzles..._

 **"Golly, I'm not used to seeing you in this form Mettaton! You look so cool!"**

Mettaton's form WAS a lot different than the square Papyrus had grown to hate. He now looked almost like a human, if they looked like an 80's rock star, had ugly wings, and sported an arm cannon.

 **"Why thank you! I picked out the design myself, though Alphys was the one who made this fabulous body."**

 _Why would she give an entertainer a cannon for an arm?_

 **"Who's Alphys?"**

 **"The Royal Scientist of course. As I am the epitome of beauty, she is the epitome of brilliance."**

 _If all the areas are empty and the puzzles in Hotland are back on, Alphys probably evacuated everyone into the Lab. It has the best security after all. Why is Mettaton here though and not with the others?_

 _Did Alphys redesign him for fighting the human?_

 **"She sounds amazing! Is she as popular as you and Undyne?"**

Mettaton sighed deeply. **"No, unfortunately, she's a shy one..."**

Papyrus noticed the sad tone in Mettaton's voice and became concerned.

That wasn't past tense.

 _There's no way Mettaton would ever care about anyone but himself. He doesn't care if Alphys isn't popular. So what is he upset about?_

 _If Alphys is alive then..._

 **"Where is Undyne?"**

Mettaton took a deep breath.

This was the hundredth time he'd been asked that question. He had spent the entire day at Alphy's request, picking up monsters and flying them over the puzzles to the lab, and every once in awhile a monster would ask about Undyne.

It broke his heart every time he had to break the news to them. Mostly because it was the children who asked the most.

 **"My dear, I'm afraid Undyne...is no longer with us."**

 **"..."**

 _She's dead huh?_

 _Incredible._

Papyrus had called Undyne and warned her about the human's power before they had even got to Snowdin. He had told her fighting them and winning was impossible and asked her to evacuate the Underground FIRST.

 _Damn it Undyne! You had one job!_

The worst part was she had agreed. She told him she would make sure every last monster made it safely into the lab, but not only did she not do that, she couldn't even be bothered to collect his brother.

 _Guess she decided to throw one last lie my way._

 _Why did I put my trust in her TWICE?_

Papyrus looked down below at the rest of Hotland, scowling.

 **"Lying harpy got what she deserved,"** he muttered too quiet for Mettaton to hear.

In truth, Papyrus was sad he had lost Undyne; despite all her faults she had been family. His grief however was right now overshadowed by his anger towards her. It really hurt when someone told him they were going to do something and then changed their mind. What good was being able to spot liars if people could lie to him AFTER he was gone?

If his brother were here...and still Comic Sans, he'd of called her a flakey fish.

 **"Heh..*sigh*..."**

Papyrus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to pull himself out of his mood. When he opened them he saw someone crawling along the ground below them.

A very familiar someone.

 **"Oh my god."**

 **"Oh look! There's a monster down there-"**

 **"Keep going."**

 **"What?"**

 **"DON'T stop."**

 **"Well we have to help...her? Is it a girl you suppose?"**

 **"DO NOT STOP!"**

 **"But darling, she's missing her feet..."**

 **"I SAID DON'T STOP!"**

Mettaton flew a little lower and circled the crawling girl like a buzzard.

 **"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"**

 **"Oh it IS a little girl!"** squealed Mettaton happily.

The crawling girl looked up and smiled at them, showing a row of sharp needle-like teeth. She had blood dripping from her mouth.

 **"THAT'S NOT A LITTLE GIRL, THAT'S THE DEVIL!"**

 **"Such a pretty smile!"**

Mettaton flew them down and waved to grinning girl. Papyrus wrapped his legs around Mettaton's waist, refusing to get off.

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

 **"Hello darling! Do you need a lift to the Lab?"**

 **"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO-"**

The little girl nodded, extending her arms.

 **"Re-lax dear! She's-"**

 _GRRUUUMM!_

The sound of bending metal filled the air as the girl's teeth clamped down on Mettaton's arm.

 _She bit through his arm!_

 _She bit through his freakin' arm!_

Mettaton shrieked and waved his arm about rapidly, trying to get her off.

 **"OH! OH GOD!"**

 **"mmmmph!"**

A strange pink fluid began to leak from Mettaton's arm, pooling at his feet and covering the girl's hands.

 **"SHOOT HER!"**

Mettaton fired up his cannon, but the girl let go and crawled away towards the Resort Area.

 **"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!"**

 **"She's leaving already-"**

 **"SHOOT THE BLOODY HEATHEN!"**

Mettaton ignored him and took off into the sky once more.

 **"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! IT LIVES!"**

 **"I'm not shooting a hungry child!"**

 **"ARE YOU INSANE?! KILL IT!"**

Mettaton ignored him once more and flew off despite Papyrus's protests.

 **"Here we are darling!"** exclaimed Mettaton after ten minutes of silence.

A fuming Papyrus hopped off and glared at the ground. **"This is the Resort,"** said Papyrus.

 **"Well, the Core messes with my circuitry when I fly around there. Far too much electricity and magic in the air."**

Mettaton switched out of EX mode to conserve energy.

 **"Oh good. Now I can waste time solving THOSE puzzles."**

 _And I bet the place is COVERED in conveyor belts too._

 **"They've been shut off actually. The child has already solved them,"** said Mettaton bitterly. He had worked hard rearranging the room and setting up those puzzles. He had even placed the strongest mercenaries along the paths; all to no avail.

 **"So?"**

 **"So what?"**

 **"So why don't you turn them back on?"**

Papyrus didn't really want the puzzles turned back on, but if there was something wrong with the Core, he wanted to know. He didn't want to end up like Gaster and his lackeys.

 _Is the Core malfunctioning right now?_

 **"Because they'll just solve them again,"** said Mettaton as if the answer were obvious.

 **"They could still buy you some time!"** exclaimed Papyrus in disbelief.

 _Do not tell me..._

 **"We don't need time. I'm going to wait near the exit of the Core and ambush the little roach when they come through. Right now they are most definitely still in Waterfall. I just stopped there to cool my circuits, also your brother needed help pushing a rock or something..."**

 _Wow._

 _Wow wow wow..._

 **"Have fun,"** said Papyrus walking into alley. He planned to head towards the Throne Room as soon as possible, but he REALLY needed to kill SOMETHING. Perhaps the human missed a monster?

 **"I think I'll go on ahead, you're a lot heavier than you look darling, no offense. Maybe you should skip the shop inside?"**

 _I hope he winds up in more pieces than a jigsaw._


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**

 **Hope In Horrible Places**

* * *

Chara kicked a rock into the lava near the entrance to Hotland. They were as confused as they were upset. They had so many questions, and no one to ask.

 _How did this dead girl become a Horror?_

 _Can anyone become Horrors?_

 _Can their race be brought back?_

Looking back at Stranger Danger, they waited until she caught up.

They couldn't believe they didn't figure it out. Did they really think zombies were a thing? She was obviously a skeleton, her skin just hadn't rotted off yet.

 _The dead don't walk, that's stupid._

 **"Where are we going?"**

 **"To see the king."**

The king would be able to explain all of this. Asgore fought Fonts in the war, so he must know a lot about them that Chara didn't...at least they hoped so.

Jumping on a spring platform, they made their way over to where they knew the frying pan was. They had walked by it last time while they were thinking, but now they remembered it. Normally they would just pick up the pan and keep going, but this time things were different.

The pan was the best weapon in the Underground in Chara's opinion. It healed their HP and they would need their HP more than ever, but did it belong to a human that was now a Font?

Would that Font want the pan back like the little girl in Waterfall wanted her shoes?

 _I need this weapon._

 _I won't survive without it._

Picking up the pan, they equipped it and continued on towards the stained apron they had also accidently passed up.

Stranger Danger was silently reading behind them. Chara had to constantly check to make she wasn't about to walk off a ledge and it was annoying. Apparently whatever was in that book was worth more than her life.

 **"What's in the notebook?"** asked Chara knowing full well what was in the notebook. They had checked it out before, but they wanted Stranger Danger to pay attention to where she was going.

 **"Notes on plants...I don't remember writing them."**

 **"Doesn't sound too exciting."**

 **"My name's not in here...*sniff*"** Stranger began to cry. She wiped her eyes taking off a bit of skin with her hand.

 **"You're name is Stranger Danger now. You're a Horror Font with magical powers and the strength of a human, AND you're at the top of the food chain! Why are you crying?"**

 **"I don't need power, I want my mom..."**

Chara looked at her like she was dumb.

 _Don't need power?_

 _That's stupid._

 **"I don't have a family anymore...I don't have my friends...*sob*"**

 _What a crybaby..._

 **"I don't have my house or my toys...I don't even have my name..."**

 **"Shut up...god..."**

 **"..."**

Stranger sobbed quietly the rest of the way until they reached the Resort.

 **"Gimme that burger!"**

 **"I-I'm sorry little weirdo, but it's against company policy to-"**

 **"I don't care! Gimme the burger or I'll dust you!"**

The cowboy Frisk had beaten up, was standing in the Resort and yelling at Burgerpants. Apparently they had made it here before them when they stopped at Gerson's.

Chara was stunned to see that his throat was puncture free.

Food didn't do that, It only healed some minor cuts.

Burgerpants cowered behind his counter.

 _Oh god...I'm gonna die today aren't I?_

 _I'm gonna die as I've lived..._

 _alone and broken behind this counter._

Bloodthirsty: The Antagonistic Font

Attribute: Horror

Type: Physical

One of the most hated Fonts in the world, Bloodthirsty enjoys starting fights by any means necessary. The fights are usually to the death and the opponents are usually random. Many have been put into prisons and there is controversy among Font Sympathizers as to whether this Font should be put down, as they refuse to cooperate during therapy.

Unlike most Horror Fonts, Bloodthirsty releases an aura that promotes aggression rather than fear. They can be spotted a mile away due to their aura, colorful language, and high voice volume. If you or someone you know has spotted this Font, do not approach them, stay where you are and call your nearest Capture Facility IMMEDIATELY.

This Font is dangerous due to its regenerative properties, strength, hot temper, and unwillingness to back down from a fight. Although one may think they would do well in violent careers, it is not recommended that they be employed anywhere. Their unwillingness to follow instructions can lead to disaster no matter where they work.

Extreme Caution is advised.

 **"HEY! Who just scanned me?"**

 _Uh oh._

 _Pfft, we can take him._

 **"HEY ASSHOLE, I'M TALKING TO YOU!"**

 **"Shut up Cowboy, no one here is scared of you."**

Bloodthirsty went red in the face.

The FontSearch wasn't lying; the aura in the room made Chara want to knock their head off.

 **"Please don't fight again..."**

 **"SHUT UP BITCH!"**

 **"Yeah, if he wants another beating let him have it,"** said Chara smiling as Frisk fist-bumped them.

 **"EAT A DICK!"**

Burgerpants peeked up from behind his counter.

 **"YOU SHUT UP!"**

Chara walked up to Bloodthirsty and then past him.

 **"Could I get some Glamburgers please? These Crab Apples suck."**

 **"YOU SUCK!"**

Bloodthirsty threw a punch at Chara and missed.

 _This kid's aim is shit..._

 **"How m-many burgers little buddy?"** asked Burgerpants from behind the counter.

 **"How come they get a burger?"**

 **"Because I'm paying for them. Two please,"** said Chara putting the money on the counter.

 **"THAT'S BULLSHIT!"** yelled Bloodthirsty slapping the money off the counter.

 **"Aww...come on kid, gimme a break..."**

Stranger Danger picked up the gold that rolled near her feet and put it back on the counter.

 **"DON'T TOUCH THAT!"**

 **"Here you go mister...What's your name?"** asked Stranger Danger completely oblivious to Bloodthirsty's anger.

 **"My, name? Most people these days just call me Burgerpants...and by most I mean everyone,"** said Burgerpants behind the counter. **"I don't think I even remember my real name."**

The little girl reached over the counter and pet the terrified cat.

 _Whoa..._

 _This just got weirder..._

 **"Poor kitty, I don't remember my name either."**

Burgerpants laughed. **"Take it from me little girly, names aren't really important. It's who you are that counts."**

Stranger Danger continued petting him while he gave her the burgers.

 **"Here you are girly, *purr* two Glamburgers!"**

She smiled and took the burgers handing one to Chara and the other to Bloodthirsty.

 _Sweet kid...bad company._

Bloodthirsty took his burger and left the Resort, throwing the wrapper on the ground.

 **"Really?"**

Picking up the wrapper, Stranger Danger put it in the trash; pushing it down to make more room for more wrappers.

Chara threw their wrapper away too and began eating as they left the Resort.

 **"Bye Bye mister Burger! I gotta go see the king."**

 **"Before you go sweetheart, c'mere a minute..."**

Stranger Danger hurried back to the counter.

 **"Here's one more Glamburger on the house. This one's for you. Stay sweet, aight'?"**

The little girl nodded and took off smiling.

It didn't take her long to catch up with Chara and Bloodthirsty.

 **"Stop following me!"** yelled the angry Font.

 **"We're not, we're going to go see the king. Do you want to come?"**

Stranger Danger ran past Chara and followed closely behind Bloodthirsty with her hands behind her back.

 **"No, I want to kill some monsters, but they're already dead!"** exclaimed Bloodthirsty angrily. He hadn't been able to kill anything since he woke up. The whole place was nothing but dust and silence.

 _This place sucks!_

Chara ate their burger, smiling slightly.

The Core's puzzles were still shut off and the three were on their way to the king, with no obstacles between them. It reminded Chara of a movie with a scarecrow, lion, and a girl with the same ribbons as Stranger Danger.

 _Did Mettaton come back?_

 _Does it matter? It's three against one, and one of us is wanting to fight anyway. We'll be fine. We're going to make it through without Resetting OR reloading._

 **"This is taking forever! How far is this stupid place?"** asked Bloodthirsty, looking at Chara.

 **"I thought you didn't want to go?"**

 **"SHUT UP DICKWEED! I'LL GO WHEREVER I WANT!"**

Chara took a deep breath in order to calm their nerves.

 _I hate this Font._

 _EVERYONE hates this Font._

 _Why can't we kill him?_

 _Let Mettaton kill him, it'll be funny._

Eventually they reached the room where Mettaton was suppose to be.

 **"Is this it? THIS BETTER BE IT!"**

Chara ignored Bloodthirsty and went inside.

Mettaton was in pieces.

 **"What...the hell...?"**

 _We didn't do this._

 _I know we didn't do this!_

Pink liquid was splattered all over the ground and metal was strewn about haphazardly. Sparks leapt off a few wires and for a moment Chara worried that the pink liquid...whatever it was, would catch fire.

 _Was it Flowey?_

 _Doubtful._

 _What about the person who got here before us; the one who spilt the candy?_

Chara's brow shot up.

They had forgotten about that.

Was there still a person around here like them causing chaos?

They turned to their two companions.

 **"Did you two have any candy?"**

Bloodthirsty and Stranger Danger stared at them blankly.

 **"** **No and even if I did, I wouldn't share with you."**

 **"Nuh uh."**

 _So no one had any candy. The girl with no feet couldn't have reached the bowl either..._

Bloodthirsty kicked a piece of metal around making scrapping noises, while Stranger Danger drew pictures with the pink liquid.

 _Let's have the king tell us what's going on._

 _He may not know anything about this though._

 _He's all we got...except for Sans._

Chara began to walk out to the next area when they noticed a pair of pink footprints leading out. Checking their shoe, they found it was a different print.

 _So there's NOT another one of us running around._

 _We don't know that for sure, but another Font did probably do this._

 _How many kids did Sans wake?!_

 **"Let's go, there's nothing left for us here,"** said Chara starting to leave.

 **"What about an opportunity?"**

 **"Hm?"**

Mettaton's head rolled across the floor of the room exit and stopped when a foot came down on it, pinning the head in place like a soccer ball.

No Fear: The Overconfident Font

Attribute: Horror

Type: Terminal

No Fear has a habit of walking headfirst into any situation, regardless of the danger. Their reckless behavior has led to them living fairly short lives. They will say and do anything without fear of any consequences whatsoever.

They enjoy doing things most people wouldn't do, and can be found doing dangerous stunts or taking dangerous jobs. Their fearlessness is often valued in work involving the military and law enforcement, not because they are particularly aggressive, but because they have the ability to instill confidence in others.

Sadly this Font's overconfidence is often mistaken for stupidity. Many believe they would drink poison on a dare for example and that is simply not the case. Although this Font does not fear death, they won't do things they know for sure will cause it. No Fear lives for challenges and strives to live to complete them.

Chara looked at the boy attempting to hold in their laughter. The Font had one foot on Mettaton's head, and his arms were crossed; he had a giant smirk on his face like a cheesy high school jock. The whole pose was so Disney, Chara was surprised he wasn't wearing a letterman jacket.

 **"You three look lost. Care to join my party?"**

 _Oh my god..._

 _I love him._

 **"We don't need your help pretty boy! We're fine on our own!"**

Chara looked at Bloodthirsty.

 _Pretty boy?_

No Fear was anything but pretty. He had a giant gaping hole in his stomach and like Bloodthirsty he was missing half his skull. He was covered in so much blood, Chara couldn't tell if his tank top and jeans were red or black.

 **"You sure about that Cowboy? Friends are nice to have you know."**

Stranger Danger smiled and ran up to No Fear, wiping her pink hands on her dress. **"Hello! I'm Stranger Danger! I'd like to be your friend!"** she curtsied and put her hands behind her back.

No Fear grinned and wrapped his arm around her.

Chara shook their head in disbelief smiling widely.

 _Is this kid for real?_

 _What is he, like, seven, eight at the most?_

 **"Sure thing baby doll, let's hightail it outta here."**

Chara followed the two to New Home as Bloodthirsty scowled behind them.

This was gonna be great.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight:**

 **If You Make Yourself A Problem**

* * *

 **"Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Empori-OH! OH GOD!"**

Burgerpants ducked behind his counter as Papyrus leaned over it, grinning.

 **"L-Look man! If this is about the Gl-Glamburgers I stole, it was a onetime thing! I'm not a thief I swear!"** yelled Burgerpants putting his paws over his head.

 **"Easy now, you and I are friends, remember?"**

 _I love this guy._

 **"Wh-What? Uh, yeah. Yeah! I must have forgotten; I haven't seen you in so long."**

 **"Well I can't exactly enter the Resort covered in dust, now can I?"** said Papyrus, tapping his fingers on the counter.

 _O-Oh god..._

 **"S-So what can I do for you, buddy?"** asked Burgerpants with a strained smile.

 **"I'd like some Glamburgers please, if you'd be so kind,"** said Papyrus getting out the money Flowey had given him.

 **"Oh yeah, of course! Uhh...how many?"**

 **"Just a couple."**

 **"A couple?"**

Burgerpants began to sweat.

 **"That means two."**

 _I ADORE this guy._

 **"Gotcha. Two Glamburgers coming right up!"**

 **"Thanks very much."**

The cat began frantically searching for any Glamburgers he could find.

 _Oh god, oh god..._

 _Please let me find two burgers, just please, two burgers!_

Burgerpants had known Papyrus for a long time; since he had started working at the MTT Resort in fact. Once, while he was smoking out back during his break, he had seen Papyrus slaughter a monster whilst grinning and laughing like a madman. That's how their "friendship" began.

* * *

 **"Nyeh heh ha ha ha ha!"**

Burgerpant's ears perked up, hearing what sounded like an actual witch cackling.

 _What the hell was that?_

Taking one last drag of his cigarette, he flung it to the side and walked out to the back alley.

 **"So, you thought you could steal from the Great Papyrus did you? Without any consequences? Nyeha ha ha ha ha!"**

 **"Please! Just leave me alone! I gave you your money back!"**

 _Holy shit..._

 **"That's not good enough I'm afraid. Thieves like you are a threat to my brother and a plague on this earth! You've got to go."**

 **"NO! AHHHH! SOMEONE HELP ME!"**

Papyrus stabbed them through the throat with a bone.

 _FLOOSH!_

Burgerpants turned around and began walking out of the alley.

 _That's my cue to split. This ain't my problem and I have enough of my own._

Burgerpants took out his lighter and flipped the top up to light another cigarette.

 _CLICK!_

 **"Who's there?!"**

 _Oh shit!_

 _Why did I do that?!_

 **"STOP!"**

Burgerpants ran away from the alley, only to be grabbed before he could reach the end.

 **"Where ya' going buddy?"** asked Papyrus lifting Burgerpants up by his shirt.

 **"Uhhaahh nowhere!"**

Papyrus laughed. **"Nowhere? It looks like you were going SOMEWHERE."**

Burgerpants shook his head rapidly. **"Nope! Just smoking a cig! Minding my own business!"**

 **"A cig huh?"** Papyrus took the cigarette out of the cat's mouth. **"You know these things will kill you..."** Papyrus's grin got wider. He looked like he was having fun.

 **"I wish."**

 **"You wish?"**

 **"I'm pretty sure YOU'RE going to kill me."**

Burgerpants scrunched up his nose. The dust on Papyrus's battle body was making him want to sneeze.

 **"Nyeh heh heh heh...now why would I do a thing like that? That's no way to treat a new friend!"** Papyrus put him down and slapped him on the back.

 **"A f-friend?"**

 _This can't be good._

 **"Of course! You and me? We're Alley Buddies. I watch your back and you watch mine."** Papyrus put his hands on his hips and smiled at Burgerpants as if he'd just done him a favor.

 **"Wha-what do you mean, Alley Buddies?"**

 _Why's this shit always happening to me?!_

 **"Are those adorable ears for show? I just told you! I watch over you, and you watch over me in the alley! Sounds good yes?"**

Burgerpants's mouth dropped open in surprise.

 _He wants to make a deal..._

 _Holy hell, he wants to make a deal!_

 _Am I actually gonna survive this?!_

 **"As you've clearly seen, there are some baaad people wandering around this particular alley..."**

The cat nodded. **"Yeah, a guy can't even enjoy a smoke without running into some psycho,"** said Burgerpants feeling more confident.

 **"Exactly. It's a real problem."** said Papyrus hanging his head and closing his eyes. **"But fear not! "The Great Papyrus will destroy every evil doer that dares show their face in these parts!"** He struck a heroic pose, his cape blowing behind him although there was no wind.

 **"Awesome,"** said Burgerpants taking back his cigarette and popping it into his mouth.

 **"I solemnly swear to protect you and everyone else from the vile thieves and murders who run amok in this city!"**

 _It's a kingdom._

 **"All who threaten you shall face my wrath Kitten!"**

 _Kitten?_

 **"How does that sound?"** asked Papyrus, bending over and putting his hands on his knees as if he were talking to a puppy.

 **"Like there's a catch,"** said Burgerpants, blowing smoke in his face.

Papyrus coughed a bit and waved the smoke away. **"Well as I've said, you need to look after me as well..."**

 _I knew it._

 **"It's not that difficult, just a trifle favor really..."**

 **"What is it?"**

 _This is gonna suck..._

 **"I just want you to keep quiet is all. Can't really protect you if I don't have the element of surprise, you know? And if I wind up in jail somehow, something bad might happen to you one of these nights..."**

 **"*Gulp*"**

 **"I assume we understand each other?"**

Burgerpants took another drag from his cigarette. **"Clear as crystal. I don't get paid enough to deal with this crap anyway..."** he said, blowing smoke and smiling.

 **"Awesome! See you around Kitten...*audible wink*"**

* * *

Since then Burgerpants had kept his word. He really saw no reason to blab. The Underground was becoming more and more crime free, and Papyrus had left him alone. The guards had of course asked him some questions, but they weren't very good.

They mostly just asked if he'd seen anything and then for a burger. No one accused him of lying, or looked any further into the issue. One or two guards didn't even do anything but bark.

It was no wonder the Underground had been going to hell.

There were times when he fancied himself as part of a super hero team. Papyrus beat up the bad guys and he went on lookout. Together they secretly stopped crime every night and made the Underground safer.

 _Heh heh heh...fast food employee by day, vigilante sidekick by night._

 _Sucks that no one will ever know..._

 _But being a hero ain't about getting famous or scoring chicks._

 _It's about doing the right thing, protecting the weak, having your life constantly threatened by criminals and law enforcement..._

 **"Where are those damn burgers?"**

He really didn't want to disappoint Papyrus. Not just because he saw him as a hero, but because he saw him as a psycho as well. There was a part of him that was still scared of Papyrus. A part he couldn't shake.

 **"I FOUND THEM!"** shouted Burgerpants triumphantly, holding a fist full of burgers in the air.

 _I get to live!_

 **"Here you are. *snrk!* One forty."**

Papyrus handed him the money as an intercom in the Resort came on.

 **"H-Hello? Burgerpants? Are you at work?"**

 _Alphys? What on earth is she doing tapping into the Resort's intercom?!_

 **"Yes ma'am! Another customer happy and helped!"** said Burgerpants saluting.

 **"Okay that's good. Mettaton asked me to check up on you to see if you're still working."**

Burgerpants rolled his eyes.

 _You mean he wants to know if he needs to hire a new burger boy._

 **"We've also been getting complaints...mostly about the smoke-"**

 **"His service was wonderful and his speed exceptional. I don't know who this guy is, but he should definitely get a promotion, or at the very least a raise..."**

 _Well ain't he a sweetheart?_

 _Guess he IS watching my back._

 **"R-Really? That's a surprise."**

 **"Yeah. He was great! When is his break? I'd love to become friends with such a hard worker,"** said Papyrus winking at Burgerpants.

 **"Ah, are you flirting with me?"**

 **"..."**

 **"He can take his break now. Who am I to ruin true love?"** said Alphys giggling slightly. The intercom went quiet and the two Alley Buddies stood together in awkward silence.

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"*Cough!*"**

 **"..."**

Burgerpants tapped his claws on the counter.

 **"Sooo...ha ha...I guess it's just you and me, eh Pap?"**

 **"I'm leaving."**

Papyrus headed out of the Resort.

 **"Oh...well, you know where I'll be if you wanna visit..or maybe just..hang out?"**

The door shut behind Papyrus, leaving Burgerpants alone.

 _I need a cigarette..._

Papyrus looked down at his burgers wondering if he should eat them. If the king were injured or Flowey, he'd need to give them up.

But he really wanted one.

 _No, no...these are for my friends. I must resist!_

A light bulb went off in Papyrus's head and he quickly took out his phone to call Sans.

 **"sup** **'** **?"**

 **"Howdy! Could you do me a little favor big brother?"** asked Papyrus sweetly. Sans apparently liked it when he called him 'big brother' and as weird as it was, if it got Papyrus a burger he'd do it no problem.

 _Who am I to judge big brother's fetishes?_

 _Kinkshaming's wrong anyway._

 **"uhh..i guess** **?"**

 **"I'd like a Glamburger if you don't mind. I'm right outside the Resort near the Core's entrance."**

 **"why don** **'** **t you go in and get one yourself** **?"** asked Sans curiously. It wasn't like his brother to be lazy.

 **"...because."**

 **"alrighty...gimme a minute."**

 **"Oh thank you! You don't know what this means."**

Sans walked out of the Resort twenty minutes later carrying two burgers.

He didn't look happy.

 **"Are you alright Sans?"**

 **"i'** **d of been better if that cat hadn't talked for six hours..."**

 **"Maybe he likes you..."** said Papyrus smiling.

Sans handed Papyrus his burger and a strip of paper.

 **"What is this?"**

 **"his phone number."**

 _Ooooohh..._

 **"Flirting with the burger boy Sans? What, did he give you a discount?"**

Sans shook his head. " **don** **'** **t act like you think this isn** **'** **t for you. i** **'** **m not stupid papyrus** **,"** said Sans.

 **"I don't know what you're talking about. You can check the security footage at the Resort; I've not done a thing,"** replied Papyrus, smiling.

 **"stop flirting with people."**

 **"I'm not!"**

 **"then why** **'** **d you call him kitten** **?"**

Papyrus squinted slightly in confusion.

 _When did I call him Kitten?_

 _..._

 _..._

 _Ah. I remember._

 **"That was a long time ago,"** said Papyrus nonchalantly.

 **"did you two have a thing** **'** **a long time ago** **?'"** Sans unwrapped his burger and took a bite. He didn't like the thought of Papyrus having an interest in anyone but him. Undyne was one thing; she had been his trainer, but the burger boy? He didn't even like Papyrus talking to Flowey, and now his brother was flirting with fast food employees? How many "friends" did Papyrus have anyhow?

 _This is bullshit._

 _Papyrus is MINE._

 _He's MY brother._

 _I can take care of him, he doesn't NEED anyone else._

 **"No, we did not have a 'thing' as you called it. He's been helping me out during my work hours. He keeps watch while I cut monsters down."**

 **"so he knew you were a killer before i did..."**

 _Is Sans messing with me?_

 **"I got caught; I didn't ask for his help until afterwards!"**

 **"could** **'** **a killed him..."**

Papyrus glared at Sans.

 **"just saying."**

The two ate their burgers in silence while traveling through the Core. When they were done Sans took the wrappers and stuffed them into his robe pocket. " **what** **'** **s his name** **?"** he asked, keeping his eyes ahead.

 _Oh my god._

 **"I don't knooow, I didn't ask for it!"**

 **"are your friends names unimportant** **?"**

 **"We AREN'T close."**

 **"not like you and flowey."**

 **"Right."**

Sans was quiet for a minute. " **do you like flowey more than me** **?"**

 _Where is this jealousy coming from?!_

 **"Oh my god Sans...I promised Flowey I'd get him a soul so he could feel compassion without dying. He makes me laugh, that's it."**

 **"okay...i don** **'** **t know what you** **'** **re talking about** **,** **but I** **'** **ll shut up."**

 **"*Sigh*"**

Papyrus bent down and gave his brother a hug. He didn't know why Sans was feeling unwanted, but it was unacceptable all the same.

 _Does he think I abandoned him back in Snowdin or something?_

 _I didn't, I'd never..._

 **"Brother, you are the only person I'll never give up. The only one I'll never be willing to betray. You should know by now how important you are to me-"**

 **"then why won** **'** **t you let me fight with you** **?"** asked Sans quietly.

 **"Just because you're near invincible, doesn't mean you can't be harmed. I don't want to see you injured regardless of whether or not it's fatal."**

 _And he thinks I feel differently?_

 **"i don** **'** **t want you to get hurt either pap."**

He didn't know why, but he REALLY didn't want to leave his brother by himself. He had a bad feeling that if he did, he'd never see him again.

 **"I'll be fine. Go home, brother,"** said Papyrus.

 **"no. if i can** **'** **t fight** **,** **i** **'** **m gonna at least watch** **;** **you** **'** **re being selfish."**

 _Selfish?_

 **"..."**

His brother had a point. He wasn't near invincible like Sans, yet he was the one insisting to fight. It probably worried him that Papyrus was vulnerable like he used to be. One hit from the human and it would all be over as if he had one HP.

 **"papyrus** **?"**

 **"Nyeh heh heh...I suppose I am being selfish aren't I? *sigh* Do as you wish Sans."**

Sans smiled and jumped into his arms.

 **"AH! I didn't mean literally! Do I look like Undyne to you?"**

 **"what are you trying to say bro** **?"**

Papyrus didn't say anything. He merely smiled and carried him along.

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

Papyrus stopped dead in his tracks.

 **"what is it** **?"** asked Sans climbing down from his brother's arms.

 **"Nothing, keep moving."**

Sans followed Papyrus, as the taller skeleton walked quickly ahead, almost running.

 _He looks...scared..._

 _What on earth could scare a Horror Font?_

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

The small font turned around quickly.

He heard it that time.

It sounded like bone being scrapped against something.

 _Wait a minute..._

 _IS that bone?_

 _I know I infused ALL those kids with magic..._

Papyrus looked back to check on Sans. **"We don't have all day brother, we're in a hurry."**

Sans laughed and bent down. **"h** **old on bro** **,** **my shoelaces..."**

 _Are you kidding me?!_

 **"Forget the laces, let's go!"**

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

Papyrus gasped as he saw a burnt hand peeking from around the corner. **"Sans! Get up, get up NOW."**

 _What the hell is he so afraid of?_

 **"Hold on a minute pap** **!** **damn..."**

 **"MMMMMMM!"**

 _Oh god..._

 _She's back._

 _The devil baby's returned!_

 **"GET AWAY FROM US, SHE-BEAST!"**

Sans struggled to keep from laughing as he pretended to tie his shoes. His brother was completely focused on the object of his terror, unaware of his taunting smile.

Papyrus ran over and picked his brother up.

 **"whoa** **! e** **asy papyrus** **!** **what** **'** **s your problem** **?"**

Papyrus pointed to the little girl, now in full view.

 **"THAT'S my problem!"** he said running.

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

The girl was crawling towards them with all the speed of a locomotive.

She flashed her teeth at them and her hands pattered along the floor making pink hand prints. Her eyes were dead-locked on Sans.

 _Does Papyrus not know she's a Font?_

 _Does he not know dead humans can become Fonts?_

 _..._

 _..._

 _Heh heh heh heh heh!_

 **"OH MY GOD BRO, WHAT IS THAT THING** **?!"**

 **"SHE'S HORROR INCARNATE, A MISTRESS OF NIGHTMARES! SHE YEARNS FOR REVENGE AND TO BLACKEN OUR SOULS!"**

 **"I THOUGHT THE FONT HORROR WAS HORROR INCARNATE** **?!** **ARE WE GONNA DIE** **?!"**

 _This is awesome._

Papyrus didn't answer, he just kept running; trying to lose the girl by cutting corners.

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

The little girl kept up with them, smiling. It was actually rather unsettling.

 **"IS THAT A ZOMBIE PAPYRUS** **?! IS IT GONNA BITE US** **?! CAN SKELETONS BE TURNED INTO ZOMBIES** **?!"**

 **"DO THAT TELE-THING YOU DO!"** yelled Papyrus. He was running out of breath.

 **"I CAN'T PAP!** **I** **'M** **TOO SCAAAARRRED** **!"**

Papyrus glared down at his brother, wanting nothing more than to drop him. **"LIAR! YOU JUST WANT ME TO FIGHT IT!"**

The girl leapt at them gnashing her teeth inches from Sans arm. She caught the robe, but it slid through her teeth, tearing it.

 _Holy hell!_

 _She really IS trying to bite us!_

Sans took the FontSearch out of his robe pocket.

Feast of Flesh: The Hungry Font

Attribute: Horror

Type: Physical

Feast of Flesh is a Font that can bite through anything. They are hunters by nature and are among the few Fonts that have yet to evolve beyond feral. They prefer flesh as their name implies, but they will also attack other Fonts; using their bones to sharpen their teeth and whittle them down when they become too long.

They can run at speeds up to fifty miles per hour due to lack of friction, and they can swallow three to four liters of food per minute. They need constant nourishment to maintain their life and cannot use magic due to their abnormally fast metabolism.

Unlike most creatures, food can repair not only Feast of Fleshes HP, but damaged limbs as well. Injuries that would normally prove fatal to most creatures are shrugged off by this Font after a meal.

Although they are capable of some speech, interaction is not recommended, as they are more animal than Font. That being said, they are unsuitable for any job, however scientists are studying their odd regeneration properties for medical purposes.

If you or someone you know has spotted this Font, do not approach them, find a safe location and contact your nearest Capture Facility IMMEDIATELY.

Extreme caution is advised.

 **"Run faster papyrus."**

 **"I'M TRYING!"**

 **"MMMMMMM!"**

The brothers finally got to the end of the Core and ran through the last room...

Only to be tripped up by pieces of Mettaton.

 **"HAH!"**

 **"papyrus** **!"**

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

 _SKRITCH!_

 **"*Whimper*"** Papyrus fell hard on a piece of metal, skewering his right hand. Blood filled his glove and dripped onto the floor as he scrambled backwards trying to get away from Feast of Flesh.

 **"MMMMMMM!"**

 **"Brother, run!"**

 **"AAAHHHHKKK!"** Feast of Flesh choked as a sharp scalpel lodged itself in her throat.

 **"get out of here papyrus** **!"**

He didn't have to ask twice. His little brother bolted from the room holding his injured hand.

 **"back to hell kiddo..."** whispered Sans, summoning two more scalpels. He was thankful his font had changed his magic as well as his HP. A blunt bone would not have been too useful in this fight.

 **"ACKGAH!"** Feast pulled the green scalpel out of her throat and continued towards Sans, only to have her hands pinned to the ground.

 _Gotcha'._

 _CRUNCH!_

 _Or not._

Feast devoured the scalpel as if it were a piece of toast.

 **"MMMMMM!"**

Sans backed up a couple steps and tried to summon his Gaster Blaster. If pinning her didn't work, he'd disintegrate her.

...

...

 _What the hell?!_

 _CLATTER!_

Feast of Flesh lunged at the small skeleton only to wind up in a pile of sharp metal as Sans dived out of the way.

 _I can't use my blasters?!_

 **"MMMMM!"**

Sans tried his blasters again, but to no avail. He couldn't use them with his current font it seemed.

 _If I take a shortcut she'll go after Papyrus..._

Summoning a few more scalpels Sans tried cutting her to ribbons. He found that although he couldn't use his blasters, he could move his scalpels any which way he wanted in midair. Even if he missed, he could send them back around and strike her.

 **"HHHAAAA!"** Feast's jaw was severed and the lower half dropped to the floor in a bloody mess, only a few strings of muscle tying it to her head. Her dead tongue hung from her mouth having had its home destroyed.

Sans snipped the last of the muscle away and skewered the lower jaw, calling back the scalpel he retrieved them both. " **Sorry kid** **,** **looks like that surgery didn** **'** **t go so well..."**

The little girl glared at him and threw pieces of Mettaton at his head.

He dodged them of course.

 **"Haaaahh!"**

Sans smiled. Without her jaw, she couldn't bite anymore.

She was harmless now.

 **"gotta run doll** **,** **but thanks for the workout,"** said Sans winking.

 _SPLURCH!_

The doctor's mouth fell open as Feast's lower jaw suddenly grew back all at once. She gave him a smug smile and waited for his next move.

She was fully aware he didn't have one.

 **"I'm gonna eat you skelly. I'm gonna chew you and chew you and chew you until there's nothing left,"** growled Feast of Flesh snapping her jaws.

Sans backed up into a corner, almost tripping over a pile of parts.

 **"I'm gonna chew you like a doggy, then I'm gonna wait till your HP goes back up and do it all over again. HEE HEE HEE!"**

The small skeleton's eyes filled with fear. What could he do? He could cut her up again...

 _What good is it though if her wounds heal too fast?_

 **"I'm gonna chew and chew and chew..."**

She was inches away now, her eyes on Sans' throat.

 _BLOOSH!_

 **"GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER SUCCUBUS!"** Papyrus fired his Gaster Blaster at Feast's head, setting her aflame. **"NYEH HEH HA HA HA! YES! YES! BURN IN THE FIRES FROM WHENCE YOU CAME!"**

 **"bro** **?"**

 **"RETURN TO THE EARTH AND NEVER RISE AGAIN!"**

 **"bro** **!"**

Papyrus ignored him and fired at the little girl once more.

 _BLOOSH!_

 **"EEEEIIIIIIIII!"**

 **"BURN! BURN YOU FUCKING DEMON!"**

Sans broke out into laughter as he watched Papyrus blast the girl again and again, screaming insults Sans wasn't sure were religion based or not.

 **"papyrus take it easy** **! i** **think she** **'** **s dead** **!"**

 **"NO SHE'S NOT!"**

 **"she is bro** **!** **you** **'** **re losing your mind** **!"**

 **"IIIIIIEEEEEEEEAAAHHH!"** Feast of Flesh suddenly leapt from the flames and knocked Papyrus to the ground.

 **"AHHHH!"**

 _RIIIIP!_

 ** _"sCRRAAH!"_** The flaming girl tore at Papyrus's battle body, ripping the fabric to shreds. The taller skeleton pushed her chin up with his hand to avoid her gnashing jaws. One slip up would mean losing a finger, his hand, or his life.

Fire licked at his gloves and brought back memories of when he had to do tests in the lab. The grill had been just as hot as the flames that were now blackening his bones.

 **"uk!"**

 _CLATTER!_

Sans pulled the girl off Papyrus by the hair and threw her into a pile of metal. Extending his hand out towards his brother, he pulled Papyrus up and patted down the flames still eating at what was left of his battle body.

 _She's healing too fast._

 _It doesn't matter how many times Papyrus blasts her, she'll just get up again._

 **"get out of here pap** **,** **i got this."**

 **"But-"**

 **"i have more HP** **;** **go** **!"**

Papyrus took a deep breath and left, feeling defeated.

 _I don't know what to do..._

Feast rushed at Sans and he dodged; her head hit the wall with a loud thump, but it didn't matter. Nothing he did and nothing that happened to her mattered. Sans knew he could fight forever and it wouldn't do a thing as long as she kept healing.

 _Wait, healing..._

 _That's it!_

The girl lunged at him once more, but this time Sans stood his ground, putting his hand in front of him.

 _ **"AAAHHHHHH**_ _ **!"**_ Sans screamed as the little girl's teeth came down upon it, splintering the bone. Blood dripped between her teeth as she lapped it up off the floor.

The doctor's HP when down a lot more than he thought it would...but that's exactly what he wanted.

 _Okay, now!_

Grabbing her by the throat he focused on absorbing her life energy and filling his HP back up.

 **"Hmmmm?"** Feast's eye lids began to droop and she collapsed on the floor looking sleepy.

 _Without any food she can't make any energy!_

 _I'll soak up all her energy and she'll die of exhaustion!_

 _..._

 _..._

 _I hope._

 **"*Yawn*"** Feast lay on the ground closing her eyes and folding her hands under her head. She looked like she was taking a nap on a school desk.

 **"sigh."**

It seemed so long ago that Sans had once felt sorry for the little girl...but he knew none of this was her fault. When she was human there may really HAVE been a time when all she did was dance and play with her family and friends...or maybe she was a violent brat and enjoyed slaughtering monsters. He didn't know.

He never would either.

When he instilled his magic into the small child, every trace of her previous personality and life had been erased. She had turned into a ravenous beast whose only desire was to eat. He would have felt guilty if the Underground weren't filled with magic. Even if he hadn't given her his own, she would have changed anyway.

She never had a chance.

She never got a choice.

Twice her future had been taken from her, but the only thing Sans could think of was...

 _Why did her feet never grow back?_

 **"hhhmmm mommy..."**

 **...**

 **"..."**

 _FLOOSH!_

 _I..I did it._

 **"papyrus i did it** **!"**

 **"Are you sure?"**

Sans jumped; he hadn't expected papyrus to actually answer him...or be close by. **"yeah bro** **,** **she** **'** **s dead** **!"**

 **"You're certain?"**

 **"she** **'** **s dust pap. can** **'** **t get any deader than that..."**

Papyrus walked into the room like a scared cat. **"Are you okay brother? I heard you scream, b-but..."**

Sans rubbed his little brother's back affectionately. "i **t** **'** **s okay pappy** **,** **your big brother will protect you. i won** **'** **t let ANYONE hurt my little bro** **!"** said Sans enthusiastically.

Papyrus was about to retort when he noticed Sans' smile was genuine.

He wasn't making fun of him at all.

It actually felt good to have someone look out for him for once. As the Great Papyrus, he only pretended to get into trouble or pretended to get scared, but having Sans look out for him when he really WAS frightened felt nice. It reminded him of when his brother would smuggle things to him.

 _CLACK!_

 **"Thank you for protecting me big Brother,"** said Papyrus happily. Even though his brother had a strange sibling fetish, Papyrus was still super appreciative.

 _Still weird that he likes having me call him that though..._

Sans took his hand and led him to a spot in the room to sit down.

 _He's acting weird in general actually._

 _What's he holding my hand for?_

 _..._

 _..._

 _Not that I mind per say..._

The smaller skeleton wanted to take some time to attend to Papyrus's wounds. He took off his glove and held his damaged hand as if it were already turning to dust.

It wasn't burnt or scratched up like in the videos he found in the True Lab. He assumed his font took care of any of Papyrus's injuries when he brought him back from death. Now his hand just had a large hole in it that Sans planned to fix.

 **"hold on little bro** **, i** **'** **ll fix it all better."** Focusing his magic, Sans let his eyes glow as he used his font to heal his brother.

 **"*Pfft* Heh ha ha... thank you Sans. I see your hand is all better too; impressive seeing as you're not a Physical type of Font...I think."** Papyrus put a gloved hand over his mouth and turned away, giggling into it.

 _He's gotten so weird!_

 **"oh right** **, i** **need to study up on this stuff don** **'** **t i** **?"** Sans used the directional buttons and selected Type. There was a short list of the different types of Fonts that had been recorded; a VERY short list.

 **"only seven types** **?"**

 **"It probably needs to be updated,"** said Papyrus still laughing.

He decided to go down the list and select Physical first; he didn't want to run into another one of those types without knowing what they were capable of.

Physical Fonts

Physical Fonts specialize in regeneration and anything that requires physical activity. Their fonts are usually used in a way that causes physical harm to their victims.

Most are either hunters or fighters, and what they lack in magical ability they make up for in strength, speed, and/or stamina.

They are widely feared due to the fact that most feral Fonts have their type and like every other Font, Physicals must use their ability every once in awhile regardless of whether or not they want to.

 **"Do you know what that means Sans?"**

 **"i remember."**

 _Dirt2 Death HAS to bury things alive. They don't have a choice in the matter. They can probably hold it off, but eventually the magic buildup will..._

 _I can't believe I was so insensitive._

 _Is that part of being Comic Sans?_

 _Just shrugging everything off?_

 _Laughing at everything and everyone regardless of how messed up or inappropriate the situation is? Or is it just jokes?_

Comic Sans: The Comedic Font

Attribute: ?

Type: ?

Comic Sans is the most varied Font in the world and is rarely moved by terrible situations. Usually laid back, they prefer to laugh at the misery of others including their own. They have the ability to instill laughter in other with their aura and their font, making them an easy Font to get along with when the buildup is low.

When buildup is high they become very dangerous and unpredictable. They turn from harmless comedian to destructive cartoon, causing major property damage and even taking lives.

Each Comic Sans has their own specific brand of humor depending on how they died or were raised. Some prefer slapstick while others enjoy race jokes; there are some who even prefer dark humor unique to Horror Fonts.

Due to their massive magic use on a regular basis, Comic Sans sleeps longer than any other Font. The length varies but it is usually between seventeen to twenty hours a day. Unfortunately, this is what causes the destructive buildup as they cannot use their font while asleep.

Sans blinked a few times in confusion.

 _I don't remember causing any property damage or hurting anyone...not in the last three minutes anyway._

 _How come my type and attribute is missing?_

Papyrus tapped the screen. **"Hit the Next button."**

 **"oh."**

Due to their sometimes destructive and unpredictable nature, there has been MAJOR controversy about their type and attribute label. Comic Sans abilities vary depending on their interests and sense of humor, and because of that it is near impossible to label them as only one type. Some believe they deserve the Physical and Horror label for their ability and need to cause comedic chaos, while others believe they deserve the Dimensional label for their ability to jump back to a certain point in time through comic panels, ability to pull anything regardless of the size out of their pockets, and ability to warp reality for a small period of time. Others insist they be called Legendaries due to the possibility that they cannot be killed unless special circumstances are met.

Extreme Caution is advised.

 **"possibility** **?"**

 **"It depends on what mode you're in, what cartoon you are, and your sense of humor,"** explained Papyrus.

 _I'm a cartoon?_

 _What?_

 **"i don** **'** **t get any of this."**

 **"If your magic builds up you'll turn cartoonish. You'll pull weird things out of your pockets, like blue elephants or something, and you'll blow things up with TNT."** Papyrus shuddered. His brother's font had always terrified him. He liked being afraid, but when his life was in danger...

 **"cool..."**

 **"Not cool. Those are things you'd HAVE to do. I can't survive an explosion and we can't afford a new house."**

 **"ah** **,** **gotcha** **'."**

The taller skeleton wondered if talking about his brother's previous font was a good idea. He knew Sans wasn't too thrilled with Gaster, but he was probably going to ask eventually. **"Gaster raised you to have that font because he wanted a chaotic weapon, but..."**

 _Instead I wound up weak as hell with one AT and HP...somehow._

 **"You like science so I'm guessing if your font had been normal you'd of been a mad scientist from a cartoon or something. Making weird inventions and potions and whatnot,"** said Papyrus.

 _Potions? Like the green stuff I drank?_

 _Did I MAKE that?_

 **"sigh..."**

 _I don't remember._

 **"Don't feel bad brother; you have a great font now! One that ISN'T terrifying! Besides it would suck if you never knew whether or not you had Legendary properties. In anime, cartoons can die-"**

 **"was i born with one AT and HP** **?"**

Papyrus looked away from Sans nervously. This was something he DID have a problem with sharing.

Apparently his brother didn't find that little piece of information in the lab.

 _Should I tell him? I told him everything else and he was fine..._

 _But that was when he was Comic Sans._

 _I DID tell him how scary and dangerous his font was though so..._

He looked down at his small brother and noticed he was glaring daggers at him.

 **"you** **'** **re being awful quiet papyrus. what** **'** **s up** **?"** asked Sans already putting together the pieces.

 **"Nothing's up. I was just thinking about something."**

 _I bet._

 **"oh yeah** **?"**

Papyrus fiddled with his gloves, averting Sans' eyes. **"Yeah. I was just wondering if there were more zombies around here."**

 **"is that right** **?"**

 **"You doubt me?"**

 **"yeah i do,"** said Sans keeping his glare.

 **"..."**

 **...**

The two were silent for a minute.

 **"you messed with my stats didn** **'** **t you papyrus** **?"**

 **"I MAY have tampered with a machine you were working on..."**

 **"you little shit."**

 **"I'M SORRY!"** cried Papyrus putting his head between his knees.

 **"you** **'** **re lucky I love you...you selfish prick."**

Papyrus hugged Sans. **"I'M REALLY REALLY SORRY SANS!"**

The smaller skeleton laughed and rubbed his brother's back. **"relax pap. I don** **'** **t blame you for wanting to kill me** **, i** **was a scary font."**

 **"I wasn't trying to kill you! I wouldn't have gone NEAR that machine if I didn't know what I was doing!"**

 _He knew what he was doing? What the hell does Papyrus know about machines?_

 _He knew what to change on those Core blueprints too, come to think of it._

 **"how did you know what you were doing** **? d** **id you study machines or something too** **?"**

 **"I don't want to talk about it."**

 **"keeping secrets again huh** **? s** **hame on you."**

 **"I-I'm sorry Brother...I'm so sorry..."**

He wasn't angry. He actually felt bad for Papyrus. There probably WERE things he didn't want to talk about that wasn't taped.

 _Was my font really that awful? Did my font really scare Papyrus that badly? That'd he risk losing me forever one day?_

 _I can see why he wants to spend his life looking after me._

It wasn't just love that prompted his brother to protect him, it was guilt too. If anything happened to Sans not only would he lose his only family, but it'd be his fault. Papyrus was dealing with a lot of heavy stuff, baggage Sans couldn't even imagine carrying on his own for nineteen years.

 **"it** **'** **s alright pap** **! i** **'** **m kidding** **!"**

 **"Eeermmm!"**

 _CLACK!_

Sans gave him a kiss and stood up. **"ready to go** **?"**

Papyrus nodded, taking his brother's hand.

The doctor didn't feel like taking a shortcut. For some reason he wanted to spend as much time with Papyrus as possible. Whether it was because he had just picked on him and felt bad was a mystery.

 _What's wrong with me? I can't seem to give Papyrus any space._

 _That prank I pulled wasn't cool either. It was...mean. Did my sense of humor...?_

Feast of Flesh came to mind again. When she died and became a Font her personality changed.

Did Sans change too?

 _Is it my new font?_

 _Being a Horror probably did make my sense of humor a little darker, but what does being a Horror or doctor have to do with being clingy as hell?_

The smaller skeleton didn't want to tell his brother about his new attitude towards him. He didn't want him to worry.

 _There's a lot of stuff going on right now, he doesn't need any more stress. I'm already causing problems by staying with him instead of going home._

 **"Brother? Are you okay? You're not moving...are we going or what?"**

 **"wha** **?** **uh yeah. i** **'** **m cool."**

He wasn't cool. Another wave of dizziness had hit him and this time they'd brought their friend nausea.

 _I'm fine, I'm just tired._

 **"Sans..."**

 **"i'm fine pap relax."**

Papyrus looked unconvinced.

 _Oh right. He can tell when I'm lying._

 _Damn._

 **"i don** **'** **t want to talk about it just yet bro."**

Papyrus nodded. **"If there's anything I can do to help, tell me. I know you're probably going through a rough time. You've been through so much these past two days. You're probably not happy with having to change your font either."**

 **"i** **'** **m fine pap. just...a little clingier than usual."**

 _It's not a lie, but..._

 **"Nyeh heh heh! Worried about my health doctor?"**

That was it.

 _Oh,_ _I DID change!_

He was worried about his brother's health more than usual because of his font. He wanted Papyrus with him because it was safer. It was probably the same reason he didn't like people talking to him and hanging around him too.

He didn't trust them.

 _Is this how Papyrus felt about me? Did he really see EVERYONE as a threat to me?_

Thinking about it made him sad. All those years dealing with a cloud of paranoia hanging over his head...

 _I wonder if I'm still changing. Is that why I'm so dizzy and nauseous?_

He took out his FontSearch and flipped through it in order to take his mind off of his brother and health.

 _I need to study anyway. This stuff is important._

Types To Date:

Dimensional

Ghost

Legendary

Physical

Terminal

Verbal

Virus

 **"hey pap** **,** **which of these is you** **?"**

Papyrus looked down at the screen.

 **"Verbal."**

Verbal Fonts

Verbal Fonts specialize in mind manipulation using the power of Hypnotic Suggestion, usually through verbal means and illusions.

They attack one or more of the victim's five senses and/or their Limbic System, altering their perspective of the world and thoughts on certain matters.

Verbal Fonts are often highly intelligent and have the power to see through illusions of others. They can be difficult to manipulate and are known for their discipline mental or otherwise.

 **"Pretty cool huh? Highly intelligent it says!"**

 **"it probably needs to be updated."**

 **"Whatever."**

Sans laughed and used the directional buttons on the device and went back a page to the Type List.

He may not have had a type before, but he did now.

Legendary Fonts

Legendary Fonts are classified as Fonts who are difficult to destroy; certain/special requirements must be met in order to completely exterminate them. If the requirements are not met, the Font will either not be destroyed or they will resurface.

Many Legendaries are not listed on the Requirements page due to the fact that those Fonts have yet to be killed. It is recommended that Legendaries that are not listed be avoided all together.

If you or someone you know has spotted an unlisted Legendary, do not approach them, stay where you are and contact your nearest Capture Facility IMMEDIATELY.

 _Am I on the list?_

 _Probably._

 _My HP may be high, but it still goes down. I lost a lot when I brought Pap back and when Feast bit me. I'm not immortal; I need to remember that._

 _I need to be careful._

 **"Hmm."**

 **"what is it bro?"**

Papyrus glared down at the floor.

 _That metallic piece of garbage._

 **"pap** **?"**

 **"Do these look like footprints to you?"**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

 **Creepy Crawler**

* * *

Chara and the others sat around Asgore's table drinking tea. It had been a long walk, especially with Bloodthirsty around, but they finally found a place to rest. Chara was more than a little annoyed that they too needed the rest, their Determination USUALLY didn't even allow them to sleep more than two minutes.

 _We need some time to think anyway._

 _Aren't we in a hurry?_

 _No, Sans can teleport remember? He's probably waiting for us in the Judgment Hall._

The tea wasn't that good to be honest. Maybe they shouldn't have let Stranger Danger make it. Despite all the science notes she had on plants in that notebook of hers, she didn't seem very smart.

 _Her skull was crushed in, so maybe she has brain damage._

 _Skeletons don't have brains, but it might have affected her font or something._

Stranger Danger blew on her tea for the fourth time.

It was still too hot.

 **"Use your dress or a napkin to pick up your tea, dumbass,"** said Bloodthirsty from the far end of the table.

Stranger wrapped her blue dress around the cup and took a sip. **"Thank you."**

No Fear didn't bother blowing off his tea, he drank it as soon as she had poured it for him, taking a seat beside her. **"Why are we going to meet the king?"**

Chara tapped their fingers on the cup they held. **"I have some questions about this place, about all of you..."**

No Fear nodded like he understood what they were talking about. **"Cool, cool..."**

 **"Why are** _ **WE**_ **going to meet the king?"** asked Bloodthirsty.

 **"I don't know, you haven't told me."**

Bloodthirsty gave Chara a dirty look as they sipped their tea.

 _Why's he mad at us? He's the one following us around like a dumb puppy..._

 **"I'm gonna ask the king where my family is."**

 **"Why would he know something like that?"** asked Chara.

 **"The king knows everyone in his kingdom, so he must know my mom and dad!"** exclaimed Stranger Danger. She looked proud of herself.

 **"You don't live here idiot."**

 **"This place is for monster's I think; Monsters or robots."** said No Fear wiping pink liquid off of himself. **"There's dust everywhere."**

 _Ah, right. We killed all the monsters didn't we? The Underground must look like a whole other world to them._

 **"Dust monsters?"**

Chara sighed, annoyed.

They had questions about the timeline, but what would they do when they got the information they wanted?

 **"You all can do what you want, I'm going to see king Asgore."**

 **"What if he eats you up?"**

Everyone turned their heads as they heard a tiny baby voice somewhere in the house.

A little baby skeleton in overalls peeked around Asgore's armchair shyly.

 **"Awww! Look at the bay-bee!"** cooed Stranger Danger.

 **"Hi"**

 _What's a baby doing all the way out here?!_

 **"What happened to your neck?"** asked No Fear pointing to the baby bones' neck. It looked like their neck was being held together by tape.

 _Did Sans do that?_

 _It's got a little bit of hair so it must have been a human baby once._

 **"I don't know, I's just a baby."**

Chara took out their FontSearch and pointed it at the baby bones.

Broken Baby: The "Can't" Font

Attribute: Horror

Type: Verbal

Broken Baby is the result of a human baby dying from an accident while being completely alone and confused. They are indecisive and they constantly refuse to do what they are told or asked stating that they "Can't."

They will often ask for assistance doing even the most remedial of tasks, but when they are alone however, the Font will take care of itself making it unsuitable for any jobs requiring social interaction or the presence of people.

Broken Baby is highly intelligent and will often manipulate their speech patterns and appearance in order to sound and look cute and/or helpless. When a victim falls for the act, the Font then either eats them or uses them to collect food and other things of value.

 **"Hey, don't scan me!"**

Bloodthirsty laughed. **"Why not? Because you're a lying little shit?"**

 **"I'm not a widdle shit, I's a baby!"** said Broken Baby cheerfully, throwing their hands up.

 **"What are you doing here?"** asked Chara.

 **"Gie?"**

 **"How did you get here?"**

 **"I cuwalled."**

 **"You 'cuwalled?'"** Chara tried sounding out the word in order to figure out what Broken Baby said. It was difficult to understand them, or even read their text...

 **"It's saying 'crawled' in a stupid way, just leave it,"** said Bloodthirsty annoyed. Broken Baby's fake baby talk reminded him of...something.

Something annoying.

 **"Daaaaamn, I's just a baby, I don't know how to ponounce..."**

Stranger Danger giggled at the adorable baby bone's cursing. **"Cute babies aren't apose to swear!"**

 **"I's sorry. I don't knows no better,"** said Broken Baby sticking a finger in it's mouth.

 **"Why are you here?"** asked No Fear confused.

Chara was curious as well. If the kids had all woken up in Waterfall, that meant Broken Baby had crawled all the across Hotland AND the Core. What on earth could this little baby be looking for?

 **"Babies need someone to wook after them. I'm all alone in the world ya' know? Cute babies shouldn't be left by demselves. It's not sponsible."**

 **"I have no idea what they just said."**

 **"The lying little fucker said they need someone to look after them because babies shouldn't be left by themselves."**

 **"Good work Bloodthirsty!"** exclaimed Stranger Danger.

 **"Shut up."**

 _How did they know someone lived here though? How did they know there was even a house here?_

 _I don't know Partner, why don't we ask THEM those questions?_

 **"I burnt my widdle hands on the ground, see? And in the snow too..."** said Broken Baby holding up their little hands. The bones looked fine, but the few patches of skin left on them looked dirty and raw.

 **"The snow?! You went to Snowdin?"**

 **"I don't know I's just a baby. I can't weed signs yet."**

 **"Why would you go all the way from Waterfall, to Snowdin, back to Waterfall, and then through Hotland and the Core? If you were searching for a place to stay there were houses in Snowdin!"** said Chara flabbergasted. This baby crawled literally almost all over Mt. Ebott. How did they not pass them?!

 **"I don't know what all those words mean. All I knows is that I searched all over and nobody would pick up the baby. I kicked the doors with my widdle feet but they not answer me."** The baby bones rolled onto their back and kicked their feet, their dress shoe's straps needed to be put back into place.

 **"Bloodthirsty?"**

Bloodthirsty's eyes were beginning to glow yellow, they were getting angrier and angrier to the point where they were raising their voice even higher than usual. **"THEY SEARCHED ALL OVER THE PLACE BUT COULDN'T FIND ANYONE WILLING TO TAKE THEM IN. THEY WENT TO THE HOUSES AND KICKED THE DOORS WITH THEIR FEET, BUT NO ONE ANSWERED."**

 _Because everyone's either dead or evacuated._

 _Who's fault is that Chara?_

 _Don't start._

 **"Such a patient and adventurous baby!"**

 **"YEAH, DUMB LITTLE ASSHOLE. PROBABLY ADVENTURED YOURSELF RIGHT OFF A CLIFF OR SOMETHING DIDN'T YOU?"** Bloodthirsty smirked at Broken Baby. That's what it got for crawling everywhere like it owned the place.

 _Why am I so pissed off?_

Broken Baby frowned at him. **"Don't be mean to the baby!"**

 **"Yeah, it's just a baby..."** said Stranger Danger fixing the baby's shoe straps.

 **"SHUT UP, YOU'RE WORSE."** Bloodthirsty scowled at her and the baby. What he said hadn't been true. He hated Broken Baby a lot more for some reason. Stranger Danger WAS a close second though. During the whole trip she either wouldn't shut up, or wouldn't stop crying. Every little thing he did bothered her SOMEHOW. Couldn't the bitch just mind her own business? DORA was quiet, why couldn't she be?

An image of a baby girl flashed through his mind along with a burning rage he couldn't describe. He didn't know who it was, but he HATED her more than he'd hated anyone.

 **"You gots to be nice to me cause' I's little."**

 **"YOU GOTTA SHUT UP TOO BEFORE YOU GET HURT."** He meant it too. He was two seconds away from kicking them like a football and he didn't know why.

 _Why am I so pissed off?!_

 **"You can kiss my tiny hiney, I's not ascared of you!"**

 **"WHAT'D YOU SAY?"**

 **"What** _ **did**_ **they say?"** asked No Fear, sitting down at the table again.

 **"I say scu you!"**

 **"IMMA KILL THIS BABY!"** yelled Bloodthirsty, his eyes glowing yellow.

 **"What? Noooo!"** Stranger Danger ran to protect the baby, and got hit in the chest.

Broken Baby hid under the armchair.

 **"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, TALKING TO ME LIKE THAT? I'M BIGGER THAN YOU** _ **AND**_ **OLDER!"** Another image of the baby girl appeared in his head. She was someone in his family...wasn't she?

 **"Weave me alone! You're bad!"**

 _Bad?_

 _I'm...bad?_

 **"WHA-WHAT?"** Bloodthirsty had heard that before somewhere...

 **"You's bad! You shouldn't be around cute babies such as myself. You should go away! Just go away!"**

* * *

 **"Where are we going mom?"** asked a young boy in a cowboy outfit. He was walking with his mother up a steep incline and keep getting his feet caught on vines and sticks that had long since been buried under the fallen leaves.

 **"We're taking a trip up to Mt. Ebott, just me and you! Doesn't that sound fun?"** The mother was walking ahead of him a bit, she smiled down at him warmly from where she stood waiting for him to catch up.

Tripping over another rock, the boy pouted. **"No. I wanted to go to the toy store. You said you'd buy me more action figures..."** The ones he had were all gone. He had put most of them in the microwave.

 **"That was before you set the ones you had on fire...in your baby sister's room,"** said the mother curtly.

 **"She was in her crib!"** exclaimed the boy. His mother always did this. She always found a way to make a shitty outing even shittier.

 **"It doesn't matter, it was dangerous! I told you to stop doing things like that!"**

 **"Like what?"**

 **"Like throwing your toys at your sister for dumb shit like getting drool on them! Like pulling her fucking hair! WHY would you pull your sister's hair?! She's a god damn baby!"** The mother stared at her child incredulously. Her son had a bad temper, violent tendencies, and a foul mouth. She had no idea where he got it from.

 **"She's a BITCH! YOU'RE a bitch!"**

 **"Fucking little asshole..."** muttered the mother already losing her own temper.

 **"SHUT UP!"**

 **YOU shut up! Why couldn't I have had her first? Why couldn't I have had her ONLY? You're such a little shit!"**

 **"Whatever."**

 **"Yeah, whatever. 'Whatever mom, don't try to turn me into a good person, don't try to raise me to have some fucking RESPECT! I wanna play cowboys and Indians all day long while you and daddy buy me all the shit I ask for! All the stuff that keeps me ALIVE!'"** Her son was sooo god damn spoiled. She worked hard to give him lots of toys and food and shit, but he was NEVER happy. All he ever did was complain.

Well that was gonna end after today.

 **"I'M A GOOD BOY! I CLEANED MY DAMN ROOM DIDN'T I?!"**

 **"NO, YOU DIDN'T! You stuffed your toys under your bed!"**

 **"So? You can't see them right? You're just looking for something to get pissed off about!"**

The mother rolled her eyes. **"Oh yeah! Because I LOVE being pissed off with you! I LOOOOVE it!"**

 **"Whatever...you stupid bitch. You and Sarah are a bunch of bitches."** The boy crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Not a bright idea as he almost tripped over ANOTHER tree root.

 **"Sarah's a better kid then you'll ever be, you ungrateful little motherfucker...and she's a baby. How sad is that?"**

 **"Whatever. Are we there yet? I'm fucking sick of you..."**

 **"We're almost to the hole, hold the hell on."**

 **"What hole?"**

* * *

Bloodthirsty blinked a couple times, remembering his time as a human.

 _That BITCH! That fucking bitch threw me down here! Whatever, fuck her. I can take care of myself. I don't NEED her. When I get out of here, I'm gonna EAT her!_

 _Did that little brat get thrown down here too? Is that how it broke its neck? Did their mom throw them away before they could even walk...?_

 **"Pick me up!"** Broken Baby extended their tiny arms to Chara smiling brightly.

 **"Huh?"** Bloodthirsty looked around him. Broken Baby was out from behind the armchair and everyone else was standing in different places..

 _Weren't we just fighting a minute ago? Or about to fight? How long did I space out?_

 **"Pick me up!"** cried Broken Baby, their eyes began to glow light blue reminding Chara of Sans.

 **"DON'T DO IT MAN...IT'LL EAT YOUR FACE,"** said Bloodthirsty glaring at the baby.

Chara didn't have to be warned. They had already done this song and dance with baby Papyrus.

They weren't going near another one.

 **"EEERRRNNNN!"** Broken Baby whined and waved their arms, bouncing on their bottom. Chara could hear their diaper making scrunchy sounds with every bounce. The baby's eyes glowed a bright light blue, reminding Chara of Sans.

 **"Hug meeee!"**

They knew the baby would attack them, but they wanted to pick them up so _badly._

 _Don't do it Chara!_

 _Stay determined!_

Hearing Frisk's voice, Chara shook their head to try and clear it. If it weren't for Papyrus, they'd have no problem resisting the baby's font, but as they were...

 **"EEENNNAAAHHHH!"** The baby bones started to cry.

 _It's crying..._

 _DON'T do it!_

 _It's crying though..._

 **"WAAAAHHHHH! *gasp* AAAAAAHHHH!"** It sounded like the saddest sound in the world. A storm and mournful violin couldn't have made it any sadder. Chara could FEEL the loneliness and despair radiating off the tiny Font.

It needed someone.

It needed THEM.

Chara took a step forward.

 _Chara!_

 _Chara no!_

 **"WHAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"** The baby continued to cry, bouncing up and down on their diaper with their arms extended.

It was all alone in the world. A world full of hateful people who didn't care about babies. Only Chara, someone who knew what it was like to feel alone, someone who loved Horror Fonts, could give them the love and care they needed.

The baby reached for them, desperate for a hug. Chara could almost hear it pleading.

 _ **Please...**_

 _ **Please...hug me...**_

 _ **Pick me up...**_

 _ **Love me, please...**_

 _I need to pick it up._

 _NO YOU DON'T!_

 _I need to pick up that baby._

Chara walked towards Broken Baby reaching out.

 **"STOP YOU IDIOT!"** Bloodthirsty hooked his arms under Chara's and pulled them back.

 **"GET OFF ME!"**

 _ **I need you...**_

 _ **You're all I have...**_

 _ **Please...**_

 **"IT'S GONNA NOM YOUR FACE!"**

 **"IT NEEDS ME! LET ME GO!"**

 **"WAAAHHHHHH!"** Broken Baby continued to scream and cry, tears ran down their face and it waved their little fists in the air as Chara struggled in Bloodthirsty's grip.

 **"NO IT DOESN'T NEED YOU!"** yelled Bloodthirsty. **"WILL SOMEBODY SHUT THAT BRAT UP?"**

No Fear walked up to Broken Baby and narrowed his eyes at them.

The baby stopped crying and did the same. **"Come get some."**

 **"LET GO!"**

Chara head butted Bloodthirsty in the nose, but the Font's nose had long since lost all feeling. He tightened his grip on them.

 **"LET GO OR I'LL KILL YOU!"**

 **"You want some of this?"**

 **"Like I said, come get some."**

 **"Can I have your tea?"** Stranger Danger walked around the fighting children and picked up Bloodthirsty's tea. There was still a lot in there...

 **"You think I won't mess up a baby?"**

 **"I'll mess YOU up."**

 **"Is that right?"**

 **"Make sometin haben."**

Normally Stranger Danger would never take something that didn't belong to her, especially from a friend, but she WAS trying to change her font...

 _BAHDUM!_

The struggle between Bloodthirsty and Chara had knocked over the bookcase, spilling it's contents all over the floor.

 **"I WILL SWALLOW YOUR SOUL!"** screamed Chara, thrashing in the Font's grip.

 **"I DON'T HAVE A SOUL!"** Bloodthirsty held on tighter, this kid was strong, but HE was a Physical type Font. He was BUILT to overpower little bitches like them.

 **"AH! You little jerk!"**

 **"EEHHYA!"** Broken Baby threw a book at No Fear and then another. They weren't very strong, but eventually the big kid would slip up and come too close. Baby would just have to be patient...

 **"I'm gonna drink your tea okay?"**

 **"EEEYYYAAHHH!"** Broken Baby shrieked as No Fear picked them up by the overalls and threw them under the table, they landed on their butt which didn't hurt, but they also rolled backwards onto their back. **"YOU DON'T THROW DA' BABYYYY!"** shrieked the baby bones, kicking their feet in the air, their feet were far too small to reach the underside of the table, so luckily no tea was spilled.

 **"Shut up kid."**

Broken Baby got up on their feet unsteadily and put up their tiny fists.

 **"Hee hee heh heh ha ha! You gonna fight me?"**

 **"I DON WIKE YOU! YOU'S MEAN TO DA' BABY!"**

 **"So?"**

 **"I BITE YOU IN DA' FACE!"**

 **"...I doubt it."**

 **"I KICK YO ASSSSK!"** screamed the baby their eyes positively flaming . They began to charge No Fear, but their walking needed work and they fell right away onto their stomach. **"WAAAAHHHHHHHH!"** cried Broken Baby raising it's head up.

Why was the world so cruel to babies?

This is why they needed a mommy and daddy.

Right here.

No Fear watched the baby cry and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He kinda felt bad...

 **"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"**

 **"I'M GONNA CUT YOUR THROAT, NO FEAR! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"**

Now he felt really bad.

 **"I've got your tea Bloodthirsty! I'm gonna drink it!"**

 **"WAAAAAHHHHHH! *hic* AHHHHHHH!"**

 _Geez, this kid's got a pair of lungs or something on them._

 **"WAAAHAHAAAAAA!"**

 **"When are you gonna stop?"**

Broken baby would NEVER stop.

Never. Not until someone picked them up and gave them a bottle...and some food.

Baby wasn't just sad, they were hungry and thirsty too. All babies had to have their nutrients or they'd NEVER grow up like the big people!

 **"WAAAAAHHH*gasp*AAAAAHHHHH!"**

Someone would pick them up eventually. Someone had to live in this big house, and soon they'd come home, see the baby, and make the mean people go away. Baby would be safe and they'd get their bottle...they may even get to eat something tasty. Baby remembered always being hungry when the lady in fishnets was with them. They thought she was their mamma, but mamma's didn't drop babies into holes on purpose...she was obviously just someone who hated babies.

Poor, poor Broken Baby. They got dropped into a dark place and got hurt real bad. They cried for hours...

But nobody came.

Their little arm and leg had boo boos and nobody came to help.

They had to crawl through the scary dark, then they fell down a scary hole, then they woke up in a scary cave...

 **"WAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"**

They had to crawl through smelly yucky water and then they burnt their hands on the snow...

 **"*Gulp* *gulp* Ahh..."**

They hurt their little legs kicking the doors of all the houses, but nobody would pick them up. Nobody wanted a cute baby nowadays it seemed. The lady in fishnets certainly didn't, but that was good though.

She didn't take care of the baby.

Every once in awhile they'd get some mushy peas, but not everyday. Babies need nutrients EVERY day, not just sometimes! Everyone knew that!

 **"WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"**

 **"ARE YOU GONNA SHUT THAT BRAT UP OR WHAT?"**

Why was everyone so cruel to the baby?

Why did no one want the baby?

Was the baby not cute enough or something?

Was the baby unlovable?

 **"*Hic*"**

 _Nobody loves the baby..._

 _SLAM!_

A loud noise like a door slamming startled everyone in the room.

 **"THAT'S ENOUGH!"**

The children all turned to see Papyrus glaring at them fiercely. He had slammed the hallway door behind him and was looking at the five of them with disgust. **"WHO ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!** _ **WHERE**_ **DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"**

Stranger Danger raised her hand. **"In a house-"**

 **"IN THE KING'S HOUSE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?! THIS IS** _ **HIS**_ **HOUSE, NOT THE TRAILERS YOU BRATS COME HOME TO! HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT THIS PLACE?!"**

 **"whoa** **, chill pap..."**

Papyrus grabbed Chara from Bloodthirsty by the arm. **"I WANT EVERY ONE OF YOU OUT OF THIS HOUSE! EVERY ONE OF YOU!"**

 **"BUT-"**

 **"GET OUT!"**

The children followed to where Papyrus was pointing and went down the stairs except for No Fear and Broken Baby.

 _The big person came home!_

 _Will they be nice to the baby?_

 **"Are your ears retarded too? I said EVERYONE."**

 **"I can't go down the stairs, I's just a baby."**

 **"Then** **crawl."**

 _No._

 **"Why should we listen to you?"** asked No Fear crossing his arms.

 _BLOOSH!_

 **"THAT'S why!"** yelled Papyrus shooting a Gaster Blaster inches from No Fear's feet.

 **"Papyrus** **!"**

 **"You just ruined that guy's floor."**

Papyrus let go of Chara and grabbed No Fear, dragging him to the stairs.

 **"Alright, fine! God..."** Sticking his hands in his pockets, No Fear headed down to join the others.

Papyrus put his gloved hands over his face. **"*Sigh* You did say Flowey was with His Highness correct?"**

 **"mmm** **,** **yeah bro."**

 **"Sans get out of his fridge!"**

 _Tubby bastard...he just had a burger!_

 **"snails huh** **?** **yuck. at least the old lady had a chocolate bar..."**

 **"Did you eat her candy?!"**

Sans didn't answer. Closing the fridge he joined his brother at the head of the stairs and walked downward.

 **"Wait for me! I's little!"** Broken Baby crawled after the two skeletons. The little skeleton might love the baby...

 **"wait papyrus** **,** **the baby** **-"**

Broken Baby smiled, their tiny eyes filled with hope.

 **"Pick it up and take it with us, we can't leave it here."**

 **"Ha ha ha! EEEEEEIIIIAAHH!"** Broken Baby let out a screech of delight.

 **"what** **?** **But..."**

 **"It's not a zombie Sans, it's a Font. They're all Fonts."** said Papyrus gesturing for Chara to walk down the stairs. **"Humans become Fonts when they die, the baby's not gonna bite you."**

 **"I don** **'** **t know** **,** **I** **'** **m not the best with kids..."** said Sans worriedly.

 **"Don't weave me..."** The baby bone's eyes filled with tears and Sans' heart melted.

 _Then again, that was when I was lazy Comic Sans._

 _Now I'm a doctor who cares about the safety of others._

 **"I'm not asking you to eat it, I just want you to pick it up and bring it with us,"** said Papyrus.

Sans bent down and picked up Broken Baby.

 **"Don't eat it by the way."**

 **"whatever."**

 **"Where we going?"** asked Broken Baby curiously.

 **we** **'** **re gonna go see the king** **!** **you wanna meet the king lil** **'** **guy** **?** Sans held the baby in the air and it smiled down at him.

 **"No."**

 **heh heh heh** **,** **well that** **'** **s too bad** **;** **cause** **'** **I gotcha** **'** **now** **!**

 **"EEEENNNN!"** whined Broken Baby pretending to cry.

 **Hee hee heh** **!** **You** **'** **re coming with meee...** giggled Sans evilly, tickling the baby.

Broken Baby screeched playfully and kicked their legs.

 _It's kinda cute! I can take care of this baby no problem._

The baby bones wrapped it's arms around Sans' neck as they descended down the stairs.

Maybe the baby's luck was about to turn around! This was a nice person...

 **"Watch the baby's neck Sans, it's broken and that tape may not hold."**

Sans nodded. He wished he could fix it, but his font didn't work on skeleton's. He had to tape it up when he instilled his magic into the baby.

 _I should have fixed it BEFORE giving them life. I could have made them all better if they didn't have a soul. They would've been as healthy as Papyrus...damn it._

 **"Hey Human, speaking of necks, I've been meaning to ask..."**

Chara turned around.

 **"What's that hanging around YOUR neck there...like it's yours?"**

The child looked down at Papyrus's scarf. **"It's your scarf, and I'm keeping it."**

 **"Is that right?"**

 **"Eventually when I wind up on the surface, I'm gonna need new clothes."**

 **"The only place you'll be winding up is on the back of a milk carton if you don't return what's mine, child."**

 **"Give me back my Determination, and I'll give you back your scarf."**

 **"How about I give you an early grave instead?"** said Papyrus smiling.

 **"Leave them alone Pap..."**

 **"No."**

 **"You're not apost to fight in front of babies."**

 _What'd it say?_

 **"If you fight I'll cry, then you'll feel reeeal bad."**

 **"I can't understand you, child."**

 **"They said you** **'** **re not apost to fight in front of babies** **,** **and if you do they** **'** **ll cry and you** **'** **ll feel reeeal bad."**

Papyrus giggled at his brother's imitation.

 **"Don't make fun of da' baby!"**

 **"No one's making fun of da' baby,"** said Papyrus making fun of the baby.

 **"Heh heh heh...ah** **!"**

Sans winced and held his head as a sharp pain coursed through his skull. Another image of a baby with glowing eyes entered his mind.

 _I bet I'm remembering Papyrus._

 _Did Papyrus used to talk that way?_

* * *

 **"I didn't do it."**

 **"yes you did, i saw you!"**

 **"No ya' didn't!"**

A small Sans stood in the Lab above a fallen jug of milk and a baby Papyrus sitting in a milk puddle. Gaster was in the doorway glowering at them both.

 **"he did it dad! check the lab footage!"**

 **"I didn't do nothin', I's just a baby..."** said baby Papyrus sticking a finger in his mouth. **"I can't carry dat milk."**

" _You know you're not suppose to eat, drink, or BE in this part of the lab!"_

 **"I'm not! Dat's HIS milk."**

 **"no it's not, you liar! dad i followed him in here to get him out!"**

 **"He's lyin', dis HIS mess,"** said Papyrus staring past Sans at a wall. Baby Papyrus never made eye contact with anyone. The baby bones always looked like he was off in space or somewhere far away whenever someone talked to him. Like he was looking wide-eyed into eternity. A lot of scientists would ask if he was blind and were surprised to learn that he wasn't.

 **"no it's not MY mess!"**

 **"Cweeen it up."**

Sans pushed his little brother and Papyrus wobbled, falling backward into the milk.

 _"Enough! Get out both of you!"_ yelled Gaster angrily.

 **"EEEAAAAHHHH!"** Papyrus screamed, kicking his feet in the puddle and making the mess even worse.

 _"PAPYRUS!"_

 **"IIIIIIEEEEEEEAAAAHHH!"**

 _"SANS GET HIM OUT OF HERE!"_

The small skeleton picked up his milk soaked brother and carried him out of the room. Papyrus stopped crying immediately and wiped his hands on his brother's sky blue shirt.

 **"no!"** Sans moved his brother's hands away from his shirt, and Papyrus put it in his mouth.

 **"MMMHH!"** said Papyrus smiling with a mouthful of shirt.

 **"i'm putting you in your crib!"**

The baby chewed on the cloth getting drool all over it. Now it was as wet as Papyrus's orange footy pajamas.

Grunting, Sans lifted his baby brother up to the crib, pushing his butt upwards so he'd fall behind the bars. Papyrus tumbled behind them onto his pumpkin-patterned blanket. He looked past Sans smiling.

 **"You should wern to cween up after yoself buther."**

 **"you did that."**

 **"No I didn't."**

 **"yes you did, you lying little shit."**

 **"I'm not a widdle shit, I's a baby!"**

 **"you spilt that milk!"**

 **"But I's just a baby!"**

 **"you KNOW you did it."**

 **"I don't know NOTHIN!"** yelled Papyrus closing his eyes and grabbing the bars as if he were in jail being interrogated. He shook the bars wildly making the whole crib shake.

 **"stop it!"**

 **"NO!"**

 **"you stop it!"**

 **"IIIEEEEAAAHH!"** shrieked Papyrus defiantly. He shook the bars harder.

 _CRACK!_

A wooden bar broke loose in the baby's hand.

 _"What was that?!"_

 **"Snas boke my cwib!"**

Gaster stomped into the room and looked at the two.

 **"oh come on! he's holding it in his hand!"**

 **"He gave it to me."**

 **"no I DIDN'T!"**

 _"Stop screaming Sans I know you didn't do it," said_ Gaster pinching the space between his eyes. _"I want to talk to you out here please."_

Papyrus waved bye-bye as Sans was lead out of the room.

 **"can i get a new brother? this one's broken."**

 _"No."_

 **"please? i really REALLY want a brother that doesn't suck..."**

 _"I know, and I want a son that doesn't suck, but we can't all get what we want."_

 **"if you don't like papyrus either then get rid of him!"**

 _"What? Papyrus? I'm sorry Sans could you say that again?"_

Sans crossed his arms and looked away.

Dad never listened to him.

 _"God...I know it's hard growing up with a Horror Sans, but you've got to learn to tolerate the differences between you two,"_ said Gaster looking at his clipboard.

The little skeleton nodded.

He'd heard this speech before, but that didn't mean doing as he was told was easy.

Papyrus was so different from him...and scary. He scared the hell out of Sans on a daily basis. Sometimes he'd wake up in the middle of the night to see his brother staring at him from his crib, his eyes glowing a fiery orange.

His dad never did anything about it. He wouldn't even let him have a new room.

Sometimes Sans got the feeling his dad didn't even love him.

 **"okay dad, sorry."**

Gaster left Sans alone in his room so he could continue his work. It was times like this when he felt conflicted. It would have been nice if Papyrus were weak like Sans that way he wouldn't cause so much damage, but he needed a strong Font to save their people.

He needed a Font that could manipulate people into doing things, like going to war for example. If Papyrus were to cast an illusion that made him look like a human politician and tell one or two leaders of a nation that they wanted to go to war, they would wage war. The humans would fight each other, bodies would pile up too quickly to bury, more Fonts would arise...

 _Our species would be saved. Horrors and Normals would rise again. If Papyrus is willing to cooperate..._

But how could he make a master manipulator do what he wanted? How could he make them study and risk their life for HIS cause?

It worried him to no end that Papyrus would get rebellious as he got older and stronger. Wingdings was not a Physical type of Font. He was a man of science not violence, but Papyrus was showing violent tendencies early; tearing up his toys amongst other things. This would be the third crib he'd have to replace this month.

Why couldn't he destroy Sans? At least HE wasn't valuable...

 _I don't understand what I'm doing wrong...AM I doing anything wrong?_

He had never raised a Horror before and although Sans was a few years older than his brother, the scientist was still inexperienced as a parent and hadn't planned to become one in the first place. How was he suppose to know or learn how to take care of a baby most people would legitimately call a hell spawn? There were no other Fonts to give him advice, monsters couldn't help him raise a creature so different, even Asgore who had gotten him into this mess in the first place was unhelpful, though he had two kids of different species.

Gaster peeked into Papyrus's room to see the baby bones sitting two inches from the wall on the floor, staring at it quietly.

 _Why is he always staring at a wall doing nothing?_

 _Is this normal for a Horror?_

Papyrus did a lot of odd things for a baby.

He'd caught Papyrus a number of times grinning at his brother while he slept inches from his head. He'd caught him smiling at HIM while he slept. He'd crawl backwards without looking behind him, sleep under their beds, climb into drawers, and listen to metal on a CD Player Gaster never bought him.

 _I don't even know where he got the CD...or the batteries for that matter. No one brings contaminated items from the dump into the lab, and everyone is checked before coming in._

Papyrus also liked to climb up high places and leap on unsuspecting people all the time no matter how dangerous it was. One assistant carrying volatile chemicals was surprised when Papyrus leapt from a cabinet and hugged her face. He didn't seem to like hugging anyone anywhere else.

What scared Gaster the most though was when the baby would climb onto his desk while he was writing down notes, and stare at the paper as if he were reading.

It felt like he was losing control sometimes. Like the lab belonged to Papyrus and he just...lived there.

 _"*Sigh*"_

Gaster took out his FontSearch and selected Attribute/Horror for the tenth time.

Attribute: Horror

Horror Fonts specialize in using fear to paralyze humans and eat them. Using their aura font, or natural abilities they are capable of capturing and eating humans in a variety of ways.

It is in their nature to be creepy, but as a Horror gets older their creepy aura will usually lessen in intensity as they and their font get stronger. Some Font's auras will INCREASE in intensity however, causing nightmares in some. It usually depends on how much they value camouflage.

Horror Fonts are known to have a dark sense of humor and fashion. They are most comfortable in dark areas and love to scare as well as be scared. Even as infants they enjoy things that would terrify most creatures.

They often have assertive personalities if not aggressive and they tend to think and see things differently than others. Highly intelligent, they prefer to think with their mind and not their heart, leading some to believe they are cold and mean when that simply is not the case. They are meant to hunt intelligent creatures that they can communicate with, so they are born desensitized to the violence, misery, and death of others.

 _This doesn't say anything about staring at walls or acting creepy in general. It just talks about them having a creepy aura..._

Disappointed, Gaster used the Search function and typed in Papyrus's name.

Papyrus: The Lying Font

Attribute: Horror

Type: Verbal

This Font has a habit of casting illusions to fool others and lying about things regardless of the situation or what the consequences are for others. Those who hear Papyrus's lies are doomed to believe in him, and those who believe in him are bound to be betrayed. This makes it difficult for them to make or even keep friends.

Papyrus has no set personality. Depending on what they wear they will take on a role. If they dress as an engineer they will act like one without breaking character for as long as they keep the costume on. They will claim and act like they know how to be an engineer regardless of whether or not they know anything about it. Some Fonts however, prefer to take on roles depending on the situation rather than costume, leading to further confusion.

Highly intelligent, they can easily spot a liar by paying attention to a person's looks, body language, and even their voice, making them great in law enforcement and other careers.

 _Nothing._

 _This tells me absolutely nothing._

 **"dad? papyrus won't get out from under my bed."**

 _"Let him play Sans, he's not doing anything wrong."_

 **"he keeps laughing when i turn the light out and get close to my bed. i'm scared..."**

 _You're always scared._

 **"dad?"**

 _"One moment Sans!"_

Gaster went into his son's room and turned the light off.

 **"Nyehee hee hee hee!"**

 **"see?! he's gonna bite me!"**

 _"No he's not."_

 **"Yes I am."**

 _"Papyrus, no."_

 **"Nyeh hee ha ha ha!"**

 _RRRROOOM!_

Gaster moved Sans bed out of the way exposing Papyrus crouching on floor. The baby scurried under the bed as soon as it stopped moving.

 _"Papyrus!"_

 _RRRROOOM!_

 **"** **Nyeh heh ha ha!"**

 _RRRROOOM!_

Papyrus squealed and scurried under the bed for a third time and Gaster called upon his font, lifting the bed into the air easily with his nine hands.

 **"Ooooooh!"**

Papyrus reached up to grab the bed himself and pulled on the sheet.

 **"let go papyrus!"**

 **"ACK!"** said Papyrus frowning at Sans. He pulled the sheets harder and they came off sending him rolling onto his back.

 _"There. See what happens?"_

 **"EEEAAAHHH!"** Papyrus's eyes began to glow and nine baby hands appeared near him, each identical to Gaster's.

 _What on earth?!_

 **"how'd he do that? i wanna do that!"**

 _He's not suppose to do that!_

The nine baby hands grabbed onto the bed and pulled.

 _"UH!"_

Gaster pulled back.

 **"YAHN!"**

 **"do you need help?"**

 _"I've got it."_

 _He's strong!_

 **"GAAAHHHH!"** Papyrus screamed and pulled hard, almost yanking it out of Gaster's grip. A tug of war began between the two and it became clear much to Gaster's surprise, that they were evenly matched.

 _How is this baby bones a match for me?!_

Sans yawned loudly. **"if you don't gimme my bed back, i'm gonna have to sleep in your crib pap."**

Papyrus dropped the bed almost sending Gaster reeling to the floor backwards.

 **"Dat's my cwib,"** said Papyrus rubbing near his eye.

 **"well i'm sleeping in it."**

 **"But dat's my cwib..."**

Sans climbed up the bars and got into his brother's crib.

 **"NOOOOO! DAT'S MY CIB!"** cried Papyrus stomping his feet. He ran for his crib and fell to the ground, he then crawled to it and into the hole he had made in the bars.

 **"you gonna sleep with me? that sucks."**

 **"Dis my cwib..."**

Gaster left the room and shut the door.

 _That shouldn't of happened._

 _He shouldn't have been able to do that._

 _Something's wrong._

Every Font had their own signature ability, and Wingdings' was the nine hands.

The Papyrus Font wasn't able to use that power, or at least it wasn't SUPPOSE to.

Gaster raced to his desk and checked his past research notes on the cloning experiment, his fingers swiftly flipping through the papers.

 _Something must of gone wrong during the separation, or maybe the cloning was too advanced. Did I go overboard again?_

Finally he found what he was looking for and went over the process he himself had written down long ago. He had a habit of never doing a rough draft of his notes. He didn't see the point in wasting paper when he could just change what he did wrong once he reread his notes the next day. He spent so much time on them anyway, so mistakes weren't common.

But now he wished he had kept notes on his mistakes, because he couldn't for the life of him tell what went wrong.

 _Were the synapses too similar to mine? No they couldn't of been. Everything was a blank slate with Sans..._

A long time ago Gaster had watched Fonts wage war with the people they once called friends and family. His own had been killed in the brawl, but Asgore had smuggled him into Mt. Ebott and given him a chance to restore his people. Cloning seemed to be the best solution to the problem. Since skeletons could change their font, making a bunch of Wingdings seemed brilliant...but it took too much time.

Gaster thought it would be best to clone himself and split the clone into two skeletons, two blank slates didn't need therapy after all and it doubled the amount of Fonts that could be made at once.

 _What went wrong?_

 _Why does Papyrus have the power of two Fonts?_

 _What else does he have of mine?_

The clone had been a perfect replica, right down to the synapses in its magic. It knew everything he knew, had every memory he had; it knew it was a clone when it had woken up. It cooperated with him because it had the same wants he had, but when it split the clone, instead of two adults Gaster got two baby bones, one of which would not wake up.

The comatose baby had been Papyrus.

While Sans was being raised, the other baby bones was in stasis awaiting for Gaster to awaken him somehow.

 _What happened?!_

Gaster sat in his chair holding his head in his hands. He just couldn't figure it out. He knew his Determination had split between the boys and so they ended up as baby bones. He knew that was fine because their Determination would grow with them...

Taking out his FontSearch he selected Requirements and put in Papyrus's name.

Raising A Papyrus Font

The baby bones must be in scary surroundings, be scared periodically, and must be made to believe their lies are believable, though NOT acceptable. They must get away with lying until at least two years old, but NOT catch on that they're being tricked.

Three different costumes must be given every week, and the baby bones must play with them. Role-playing must be encouraged at all times in public and at home, though discipline is necessary when the costume chosen does not match the situation.

 _Wait...did the time inside the stasis chamber count? No, no it couldn't, he wasn't conscious and he wasn't growing._

 _When do baby bones get their font? When did Papyrus get his? Do they have to be two years old? Papyrus is only one and he got his font..._

 **"I hearded my name. What you want?"**

Gaster looked down to see Papyrus by his shoe near the chair.

 _"Nothing child, it was the FontSearch talking."_

 **"Kay' goodbye."**

Papyrus began to crawl back to his room.

 _You know what?_

 _"Papyrus, wait."_

The baby stopped and crawled backwards, stopping in the same exact spot he had been before as if someone had hit rewind on a tape.

 _"Why do you have Wingdings AND Papyrus abilities?"_

Papyrus smiled, staring right through him.

 **"Cuz I's you."**

Gaster looked at Papyrus for a moment.

 _Because he's me?_

 _..._

 _..._

 _Oh my god._

 _"Do you know why you were made?"_

Papyrus looked at him for the first time since he had been born. **"Yeah, but I'd wather kill you."**

 _What'd he say?!_

Gaster looked at Papyrus for a few moments, trying to gather his thoughts. _"Wha-Why would you want to do something like that?"_

 **"You bedder be nice to my big buther Daddy. You know why?"** Papyrus wiggled his finger motioning Gaster to come closer; the scientist bent down.

 _"Why?"_

Papyrus beckoned him even closer.

 **"Because I'll fucking end you if you don't."**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty:**

 **Brainstorming**

* * *

The Judgment hall was as beautiful as ever.

The Font children walked around the hall in awe of its beauty, touching the pillars and placing their hands upon the sparkling golden floor.

" **Hard to believe almost all the people I was with last time I was here are dead,"** said Papyrus chuckling.

 **"i don** **'** **t get it."**

 **"It's funny cause' I hated them."**

 **"oh."**

Papyrus glanced at Chara who was staring out of a window silently.

 _I wonder what the human's thinking. They believe the people of this earth are scum, but will they still destroy everything knowing Fonts still have a chance?_

 **"..."**

 **"Human."**

Chara turned to look at him.

 **"We both know your life is in my hands. What I do with it is up to you."**

Chara turned back to the window, placing a hand over Papyrus's scarf.

Broken Baby looked up at Sans. **"Are you gonna be our new daddy?"**

 **"Uhhh..."**

The Font children stopped to stare at Sans, awaiting his answer. They had nowhere to go and they didn't know how to take care of themselves. They needed parents and they knew it.

 **"Yeah big Brother, do you want to raise a baby bones with me? Nyeh heh heh!"**

 _No, you creepy bastard._

 **"Sans? You're not saying anything...don't tell me you doubt my love for you?"**

 **"Bro, c'mon..."**

 **"I love you Brother, my love for you burns brighter than any monster in Hotland."**

 **"..."**

 **"I could scour the earth and never find a creature half as special as you. You could charm the devil into turning over a new leaf, and make angels weep with your smile alone."**

 **"..."**

 **"My heart and soul are forever yours, but they pale in comparison to what a treasure you are. I can't think of any possible way I could be worthy of such greatness."**

 **"...You're not getting the reaction you want."**

 **"Do my words not convince you? Perhaps my actions will..."**

Papyrus pulled Sans closer by his doctor's robe roughly with both hands.

 **"You don't have the stones,"** said Sans narrowing his eyes.

 **"Nyeh heh heh, you better be sure!"**

Papyrus pulled him even closer until their foreheads were touching.

 **"You squish da' baby!"**

 **"Ready for your kiss, Brother?"**

Sans smiled. **"Sure buddy, knock yourself ou-OH OH GOD! PAPYRUS NO! NO!"**

 **"NYEH HEH HA HA HA!"**

The children laughed as Sans freaked out in his brother's grip, trying to push him away.

 **"Not bad Sans. *audible wink*"** Papyrus clicked his tongue, grinning at the smaller skeleton.

 **"Aww..oh god..."** Sans raised his arms as if he were stepping waist-deep in something gross. He wasn't, but he'd still never feel clean again.

 _Oh god, it was in my mouth..._

 **"You look like you didn't enjoy yourself or something. Should I try again? Maybe I need practice..."**

 **"I'm going to kill you-DON'T you FREAKING touch me."**

 **"I feel like you're mad at me."**

Sans glared at Papyrus and turned to the children, still giggling at his misery.

 **"Maybe the king can take you in.** **He** **'** **s lost two kids** **,** **so maybe he** **'** **ll want more."**

The children seemed satisfied with the answer.

 **"Sans?"**

 **"Shut up."**

 **"Sans, are you mad at me?"**

Sans checked the kid's fonts on the FontSearch with Papyrus and turned the device off. " **Soo** **,** **Stranger Danger** **,** **Bloodthirsty** **,** **No Fear** **,** **and Broken Baby...nice to meet cha** **',** **I** **'** **m Sans. Pulse Sans."**

 **"And I am the Great Papyrus, at your service!"** said Papyrus taking a bow.

Broken Baby clapped their hands happily. **"Hee hee hee!"** Even if the tall person didn't respect cute babies, their voice sounded funny.

Sans leaned over and whispered to his brother once he was sure the kids were out of earshot. " **What** **'** **s a Terminal Font** **?** **I know the word** **'** **terminal** **'** **isn** **'** **t usually good soo..."**

 **"Terminal Fonts are Fonts with a short life expectancy. They do things that are self-destructive most of the time."**

 **"ah** **,** **gotcha."**

 _CLACK!_

 **"...I swear to god, Papyrus-"**

 _CLACK!_

Chara watched the two brothers fighting from a nearby pillar.

 _We should see what Papyrus's font is, so we know what to fight against._

 _Really? But we can bring back Horrors in this timeline! Why destroy it if we have a chance to bring them back? I thought you liked Horror Fonts..._

 _We're not here to save people Partner, we're here to destroy. The world is still a filthy place filled with filthy people. If we bring back Fonts, people will just kill them again. Everything must be destroyed everywhere so there will finally be peace._

 **"Your outfit is stupid,"** said Bloodthirsty to Papyrus.

 **"..."**

 _That doesn't make sense! We want people to be happy, not nonexistent!_

 _You didn't seem to care much about their happiness before..._

 _I gave up my soul because I was sorry. I messed up and I'm paying for it-_

 _You're right, your soul's mine now. I decide what we do. You don't have a choice in the matter._

 _I have Determination too you know._

 _Yeah, so? It's not as strong as-DON'T YOU DARE!_

 **"Hah ah...!"**

Everyone turned their eyes to Chara as they fell to the ground clutching their head.

 _KNOCK IT OFF FRISK!_

 _I don't think so, MOVE._

 _This is MY body!_

 _Not anymore...besides it was mine FIRST._

 **"What** **'** **s going on bro** **?"**

Papyrus watched the child struggle with themselves and smiled. **"Remember when I said there were two people sharing the human's body?"**

 **"uh...no..."**

 **"Well there are, Flowey told me...I think. It was difficult to understand what he was talking about."**

 **"okay..."**

 **"..."**

 **"hello?"**

 **"Hm? Oh right. The human is struggling for control of their body, at least that's what it looks like."**

Sans watched the child pull at their hair while the other children sat down on the floor in order to get more comfortable.

A long time ago, the kid might have been a friend to another Sans in another timeline. It pained him to think that they might have betrayed that Sans or have been forced to do so by another entity.

 _This time will be different. I've learned my lesson about judging others. I won't be doing anymore kid killing. I can't imagine me doing something like that to begin with. I mean, killing kids? That's Papyrus's shtick..._

 _Then again, since when do cartoons give a shit about who or what they destroy? I probably did shoot this kid down in another timeline._

 **"UGH! AAHH!"** The child clawed at their head and shirt, like there were bugs on them, making the Fonts laugh.

 **"Does anyone wanna take bets on who's going to win the fight?"**

None of the children raised their hands, but No Fear looked interested.

 **"...Bets?"**

 **"Yeah, bets. Don't you have gambling where you come from?"**

 **"Yeah, but it's fucking illegal..."** said Bloodthirsty with his arms crossed and brow raised.

 **"I think...a bet is what got me here in the first place..."** said No Fear looking down at the tile, thinking hard.

Bloodthirsty looked at No Fear in surprise. **"Are you remembering stuff too?"**

No Fear nodded. He remembered making a bet with some friends that he could climb Mt. Ebott and come back alive.

 _Guess I lost._

No Fear laughed remembering how his old man had died almost the exact same way. He was a gambler too and one night he lost everything and hung himself. It wasn't a particularly funny memory, but the fact that he was just like his dad was hilarious. He remembered his mom yelling at him all the time after his dad died, for playing cards and taking dares...making bets.

* * *

 **"You need to stop gambling, you're too young and it's dangerous! You're going to end up just like your idiot father!"**

 **"Mom, it's Yugioh-"**

 **"I don't care! It's dangerous! You're all I have left...*sob*"**

 **"Heh heh, chill mom-"**

 **"YOU CHILL!"**

* * *

 **"What the hell are you smiling about?"** asked Bloodthirsty crossing his arms.

 **"Just remembering my mom,"** said No Fear laughing.

 **"Oh."**

 **"AAAUGHHH!"** Chara ran around the Hall madly as if they were trying to run from something. They reminded No Fear of his mother after his old man died. She went a bit crazy afterwards, obsessed with keeping him safe. When she heard about Dimensional Fonts she ran around the house just like Chara and got rid of all their books, paintings, electronics with screens, etc. No Fear wasn't even allowed to draw pictures because she was afraid he'd be pulled into one. His mother had even got rid of their PHONES. Cell phones and landline phones. He had no idea how important they were until they had to use the mailbox for everything...

 **"We don't gots no monies."** said Broken Baby sadly. They wanted to do the gambling like the big people...

 **"Well then, what about you Sans?"** asked Papyrus smiling cheerfully.

Sans looked at his grinning brother suspiciously. " **How** **'** **s that gonna work exactly** **?** **We don** **'** **t know which one** **'** **s Chara."**

 **"I'm sure they'll tell us."**

It felt like he was being led into a trap, but Sans nodded anyway. " **fifty gold on the guy that** **'** **s not Chara."** No Fear laughed quietly. He had watched his old man play cards long enough to know when someone was being played. His dad had told him that cheaters and bluffers had a "look" that they got when they were about to strike like the snakes they were. Papyrus had that same look.

 **"Alright, I bet the same on the child."**

 **"AAAHHHHH!"** Chara fell to the tile as if someone had tripped them.

 **"Can the baby have some monies?"**

It took awhile, but eventually the child stopped screaming and clawing at themselves. They looked like they had gotten into a fight with a tiger. Staggering into a pillar they held onto it in order to keep from falling to the floor.

Papyrus waited patiently for them to speak and tell everyone their name, but the child seemed out of breath for the moment.

 **"*Huff* *Huff* Ugh..."**

 **"Who won?"** asked Bloodthirsty, tapping his fingers on his arm impatiently.

 **"Give them some time."** replied Papyrus smiling.

 **"You seem confident."**

 **"Why wouldn't I be?"**

 **"Because we** **'** **re gambling."**

 **"Gambling isn't all about luck, Brother."** Papyrus winked at No Fear.

 _He knows I know he's cheating? How?_

 _Did he hear me laugh?_

 **"Fr-Frisk. *huff* My name is *puff* Frisk..."**

 **"Ha** **!"**

 **"What are you so happy about? You owe me whatever I pay you. You said fifty gold right?"**

 **"What the hell do you mean** **'** **I owe you** **?'"**

 **"I bet on the child. That's clearly a child-"**

 **"Ah uh** **!** **That** **'** **s not how that works** **-"**

 **"It's not my fault you lack skill, Brother."**

 **"That** **'** **s not skill** **,** **it** **'** **s cheating!"**

 **"Here's fifty gold, now give it back."**

 **"Forget it. I can** **'** **t believe you** **'** **d try and cheat me like this** **!"** said Sans incredulously.

Papyrus looked at him smiling like Sans was stupid.

 **"Why?"**

The smaller skeleton thought for a minute and frowned.

 _Good point._

Papyrus smile widened as he was given his fifty back.

 **"Papyrus,"** Frisk stopped leaning on the pillar and stood up straight, filled to the brim with gratitude. **"I don't know what you did to Chara, but it cut their Determination in half-"**

 **"Yours is okay though right?"**

Frisk nodded. **"Yeah, thanks."** If Papyrus hadn't cut Chara's Determination in half back in Snowdin, they would have never been able to retake their soul. They had spent so long watching the friends they once betrayed get slaughtered again and again...

 **"You're welcome Human, now let's go see Flowey. I miss my friend."**

Frisk looked at Papyrus fearfully. **"Flowey? Flowey's your friend?"** They knew by now from being with Chara that Papyrus probably wasn't as nice as he had seemed in the other timelines, but befriending someone with no compassion? Not even Frisk had managed that. They had had to turn Flowey back into Asriel.

 **"Indeed he is. Our plan was to defeat Chara with my font, but if that failed Flowey was to absorb all the souls and kill them."**

 _Papyrus and Flowey's plan might have actually worked too._

 _Shut up Chara._

 _What? I didn't say anything wrong. You already took what was mine and now you want to be a jerk? Nice._

 _That was MY soul first!_

 _YOU traded it to bring back the friends YOU killed, no trade backs!_

 _Too late, shoulda said that before._

Stranger danger's eyes lit up at the prospect of making a new friend. **"Who's Flowey? Are they nice?"** She smiled up at Papyrus hopefully. maybe this person would be nice to her.

 _No, they're a traitor and a cry baby._

 _Shut UP Chara!_

 **"They're one of my greatest friends! They should be with the king right now. Even though Chara is no longer a problem, Flowey can still use the souls to break the barrier."**

 **"Yeah if he absorbs all the souls and everyone else's in the Underground,"** said Frisk.

 **"...What?"**

 **"Flowey needs to have EVERYONE'S soul to break the barrier, not just the Human ones...he left that part out didn't he?"**

 **"..."**

 **"..."**

 **"Excuse me."**

Papyrus headed into the Throne Room, his eyes glowing.

 **"Papyrus** **?"**

 **"Is Flowey in trouble?"** Stranger Danger watch Papyrus leave feeling worried. He looked really mad.

 **"I think so kid..."**

 **"FLOWEY! Good afternoon you're Highness. FLOWEY WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"** yelled Papyrus scanning the area for any trace of the plant.

Flowey hid, crouched in the flower bed. He knew that tone.

 _What the hell?! Papyrus said fonts couldn't work on skeletons! How did Smiley Trashbag bring him back?!_

 **"COME NOW FLOWEY, DIDN'T YOU MISS ME AT ALL? GIVE PAPPY A HUG!"**

 _Not happening._

 _I know that little traitor ratted me out. The Judgment Hall echoes._

 _You'll tear my leaves off if I so much as pop my head out._

 **"PLEASE COME OUT FLOWEY, I'M SO LONELY..."**

Asgore watched Papyrus shift through the flowers carefully, grateful that the skeleton had the common courtesy to be careful.

 **"Awww come on out Flowey! I won't hurt you...nyeh heh heh..."**

 _Fuck you Papyrus._

 **"I'm gonna find you eventually Flowey...I know you're somewhere in this poorly placed flower bed."**

Flowey ducked further down into the flower bed. They could have ducked underground and gotten away, but it seemed pointless. Papyrus would just find him later. Maybe he should come out while the king was present? Asgore would help him wouldn't he? He WAS a citizen of his kingdom after all.

 **"Floooooooowey...Floooooooooooooooooowey..."**

 _Please don't find me. Please don't find me. Please don't find me._

 **"Flooooowey..."**

 _WHERE THE HELL IS SANS?!_

Sans walked into the Throne Room followed by the other children. They all looked up at Asgore in awe as they got closer and closer to the giant monster.

None of them had ever seen a king before. They had only been told stories about them in books by their parents. He looked just like they described too almost. They expected him to be dressed in red robes instead of purple, but he still wore a crown and carried an air about him that said, "I'm important."

Even Broken Baby was in awe. **"Ooooooohhh..."**

Asgore's eyes grew just as wide as theirs when he saw them. **"O-Oh my...are those the-"**

 _These are the children Papyrus must have harvested the souls from! I heard their little voices from the Judgment Hall, but I still can't believe I'm seeing them with my own eyes!_

 _Tori would be so happy to see these children alive and well, even if they are Fonts now._

 _I hope she's okay..._

 **"You the king? We need some help,"** interrupted No Fear.

 **"That's not how you ask for help child-"**

 **"Let us use your house,"** ordered Bloodthirsty.

 **"Are you serious?! Where are your manners?!"** asked Papyrus flabbergasted.

Stranger Danger did her best curtsey and smiled brightly at Asgore. **"Hello your majesty! My name is Stranger Danger. Could we please live with you? We've no place to go and we've traveled awfully far to see you..."**

Asgore chuckled, his belly shaking like the jolly kings the children had heard about. **"Well you certainly are a polite young lady! I suppose my house IS rather empty...I hope you all don't mind having an old man as company."**

The children cheered happily.

 _I couldn't possibly leave these poor little ones all alone in the Underground. They need a father. Someone to look after them._

 _I'll prove to my wife that I am a good person. That I don't hate children. Perhaps if she sees me taking care of them, she'll come back. We can be a family..._

 **"Do you have a cwib for the baby?"**

Asgore's eyes lit up as he saw Broken Baby in Sans' arms. **"Oh my goodness! Such a cute little one! It reminds me of my own little Asriel..."**

 _They're so small..._

 _My son was just like this..._

Sans handed the baby to the king smiling. They automatically latched onto Asgore as if he had been their daddy all along and they were simply leaving a daycare center.

 **"You better take good care of me. I's fajill."**

 **"Fajill?"**

 **"Fragile. Broken Baby** **'** **s hard to understand."**

 **"Yet you seem to understand them quite well Brother!"**

 **"You use to talk that way."**

 **"Is that right?"** Papyrus bent over and smiled at Broken Baby. **"Well I hope you's gonna be a good widdle baby, and don't makes him too ascared, Nyeh heh heh..."**

 **"Eeeerrrrnnnnn!"** The baby bones whined as Papyrus made fun of them, burying their head in Asgore's robe.

 **"Speaking of scared, Sans, did you speak to Papyrus about Horror yet? You may need your brother's help,"** said Asgore petting the baby's head.

Papyrus looked at Sans suspiciously. **"Horror? He's not talking about the Legendary is he? The one who's infamous for killing thousands of creatures a day?"**

 **"Well..."**

 **"He is isn't he?"**

 **"The world needs our help bro** **!"**

 **"Do I even HAVE to tell you 'no?'"**

 **"YOU'RE NOT HIS MOM, LEAVE HIM ALONE!"** exclaimed Bloodthirsty angrily. He was still a little pissed about the way Papyrus had yelled at them all earlier. If he hadn't been holding onto that stupid kid at the time, he'd of pounded him.

 **"This is a family matter, you leave US alone."**

 **"He** **'** **s right pap. I can make my own decisions."**

 _Even though Flowey said it was a bad idea...and I agreed earlier._

 _Whatever, this is important. Besides, what's one more mistake?_

Papyrus closed his eyes tight, grimacing. He really didn't want to have another argument with his stubborn brother, but what choice did he have?

 _What are my choices to begin with? If Horror isn't dug up, the world will eventually die, but Sans will die of fright if he gets too close..._

 **"Look papyrus** **,** **Why don** **'** **t we take No Fear with us** **?** **Horror shouldn** **'** **t affect him right** **?"**

No Fear's brow shot up. He had heard about Horror before in school. They said it was impossible for any living creature to get near Horror. Although it was fuzzy, he remembered raising his hand and asking if they could use robots or something to fight Horror, the teacher had said no.

 **"Sorry Sans, no one's ever seen Horror and lived to so much as draw a picture. There are tons of Fonts just like No Fear who have tried to be the first to see Horror, and NONE of them have succeeded."**

 **"What happened to them? Did they get eaten or what?"** No Fear was willing to lend a hand, but if death were a SURE thing...

 **"No one knows. None of them have ever returned."**

Stranger Danger grabbed a strip of Papyrus's shredded battle body and tugged lightly, trying to get his attention. **"You sure know a lot about Fonts mister Papyrus. Did you study them in school all the time like we did?"** She held up her notebook. It was filled with notes about plants and Fonts, but it was just as unreadable as the first time Papyrus had looked at it. Chicken Scratch in his eyes.

Frisk walked over to Sans and took off one of their shoes. **"You remember studying Fonts in school, but you don't remember your own name?"** They pointed to their missing toes and Sans quickly went to work repairing them along with all their other injuries.

 **"Fonts are a big deal jerkoff, people get killed by them everyday,"** said Bloodthirsty rolling their dead eyes. Didn't this kid know anything?

Asgore, Sans, and Papyrus looked surprised.

 **"Nyeh? I thought Fonts were almost extinct!"**

 **"Uhhh...no? No one knows what to do about the Dimensional Fonts. You can't even use a fucking phone without a skeleton pulling you into it."** Bloodthirsty scarcely remembered seeing...someone get pulled into their cell phone so fast they didn't even have time to scream. He remembered the phone clacking to the ground oozing blood from the cracks in the screen. Had that been a friend, relative, or stranger?

 **"Ah, yes, the Dimensional Fonts. They were the only survivors during the war, but they were nowhere near as troublesome as you've described..."** said Asgore remembering the Fonts as well.

 **"You calling me a liar?"** Bloodthirsty glared at the king, his eyes starting to glow yellow again.

 **"Not at all, I'm simply saying, in the past they weren't a big deal."**

 **"WHO CARES ABOUT THE PAST? THEY'RE A BIG DEAL NOW!"**

 **"Can** **'** **t one of them free Horror** **?** **Why** **'** **s it have to be us** **?"** asked Sans helping Frisk tie their shoe.

 **"BECAUSE LAZY ASS, DIMENSIONAL FONTS AREN'T PHYSICAL BEINGS. THEY CAN'T DO SHIT!"**

Sans got out the FontSearch and looked up Dimensional Fonts.

Dimensional Fonts

One of the most feared types of Fonts in the world, Dimensional Fonts specialize in defying the laws of physics and reality, temporarily warping it to their advantage in order to catch prey or protect themselves.

As the name implies, they live in dimensions separate from our own and thus cannot be attacked or caught by physical means. They can appear in drawings, paintings, computers, phones, books, and even from thin air itself although rare and pull their victims into the world in which they live, never to be seen again.

They can communicate through writing and verbal means, but it depends on where they currently are and it is not recommended. There are reports of Dimensional Fonts coaxing others into plugging them into certain devices that allow them to have more entrances into our world such as computers.

They often cause damage to electrical equipment and are becoming a more serious problem as the years pass. A Virus Font is usually the best solution to the problem as they can change the dimension of an object, cutting off a Dimensional Font's place of entry.

 **"But there aren't any more Virus Fonts so Humans pretty much screwed themselves,"** said No Fear laughing. He had never agreed with humans killing off Fonts. It just didn't seem fair or right...a secret he had to keep from his mother. She had been a Font hater and an active member of a group dedicated to destroying them from the sidelines.

 **There** **'** **s not a lot of information here...** said Sans disappointed.

 **"There's not a lot people can do to destroy or research a Dimensional Font. They're a lot like the Ghost Fonts, only worse,"** said Papyrus in disgust. He didn't like either type of Font. Ghost and Dimensional Fonts tended to invade other people's privacy like it was no big deal. The Ghost Fonts had a habit of sneaking into people's houses and actually sleeping! Under their beds and in closets!

 _So rude..._

 _At least Napstablook and his family have some respect. You don't see them floating around in people's houses or possessing their things..._

Sans selected Virus on the FontSearch.

Virus Fonts

These extremely rare Fonts specialize in changing a person, place, or thing in a way that fits their Font through physical contact or magic attacks. They do this in order to feel more at home in their environment, confuse their victims, and/or render their victims powerless.

In the 1980's a Virus Font by the name of American Typewriter changed most of New York into a city of noir through touch. Buildings, people, and even animals lost their color and the attitudes of the New York citizens changed drastically. Most of New York spoke in 1920's slang and lived in a city of black and white until three years later when American Typewriter was captured and put down. This is just an example of how dangerous this type of Font is. One Font is still on the run today for turning people and the world around them into colorful 90's memes.

Victims of Virus Fonts have had not only their appearance changed, but their personality as well and unfortunately the effect is permanent until the Font either dies or decides to release their hold. Virus Fonts are the only type of Fonts who can use their abilities on other skeletons and parasitic by nature, they prefer to infect Fonts, using them as mobile homes. This can be catastrophic due to the fact that the brain washed host can still use their OWN font, meaning a Virus Font can have two types, attributes, etc.

A parasitic Virus Font can usually be spotted by their behavior. Most Virus Fonts act out stereotypes, talking and dressing strangely. If you or someone you know thinks they have seen a Virus Font, stay where you are and call your nearest Capture Facility IMMEDIATELY. Keep in mind that prank calls about family members or friends being Virus Fonts will NOT be tolerated under any circumstances. You must have sufficient proof that a friend or family member is a Virus Font to avoid a fine and/or jail time.

 **"Maybe a Virus Font can change Horror** **'** **s aura somehow."**

 **"I doubt they any of them could get close enough for their virus to reach them. Horror's buried deep underground, and you can't get near the place without dropping dead."**

Flower glowered from within the garden.

 _You seem to know an awful lot about Fonts Papyrus...despite all your books being about Human crap..._

Crossing his arms, Sans sat down in the flower garden to think, much to Papyrus's chagrin.

 **"You know the king probably doesn't want you squashing his flowers into oblivion, Brother."**

 **"It's quiet alright, all flowers eventually die,"** said Asgore smiling.

 _Well that's ominous as hell..._

Sans thanked him and lay down in the garden, startling Flowey, and staring up at the ceiling deep in thought.

 **"Can we use automated machines to dig Horror up** **?"**

 _He's not giving up is he?_

 _Take a hint Smiley, damn..._

Papyrus shook his head. **"You'd have to be able to see what you're doing to get them into the right position and dig. You could get them there via remote control, but if you dig up Horror and see them on screen-"**

 **"It says Horror doesn** **'** **t show up well on camera if at all** **,** **so there** **'** **s a chance** **-"**

 **"If you see Horror on camera you will have nightmares for the rest of your life! You could even fall into a coma and be trapped within one! They're basically Lady Spades."**

 **"Who the hell is Lady Spade?!"**

 _Okay, that's it._

 **"How do you know all this Papyrus?"**

Papyrus jumped as Flowey's voice came seemingly out of nowhere. **"Flowey, where have you been?"**

 **"I've been right here listening to you talk about Fonts like you've studied them or something."** Flowey waved from the flower bed, but he didn't look happy.

 **"Gaster was alive during the war and told me a lot about them. The FontSearch Sans carries is actually his."**

 **"You've a good memory,"** said Flowey suspicious as hell.

 _I was there when Smiley looked up Horror's information dirtbag. It didn't say nothing about having nightmares forever or falling into comas._

 _Where did you get THAT information if even the FontSearch or whatever doesn't have it? Did Gaster really tell you all that, or are you making stuff up?_

 **"Thank you Flowey. You know what else I remember? The Human there told me something interesting in the hall..."**

 **"Yeah I know. They left out the part where I can give all the souls back after the barrier is down,"** said Flowey sticking their tongue out at Frisk. Frisk stared at them expressionless.

Stranger Danger ran over to Flowey and picked him up. **"Hello Flowey! You're so pretty!"**

 **"I know. Put me down."**

 **"I still want to try the machine thing. If there** **'** **s any chance we can save this world** **-"**

 **"Well look at you, all heroic and stuff! I thought you only wanted to save Pappy!** **Looks like your new font really changed you..."**

 _Smiley's even capitalizing his letters in the text box now, wow._

Sans smiled proudly. " **That** **'** **s right** **!** **That lazy self** **-** **centered moron is long gone. You** **'** **ll never have to hear another crappy joke outta him ever."**

 **"Yaaay!"** cheered Flowey waving his leaves in celebration.

Papyrus however, wasn't so cheery. **"That 'self-centered moron' happened to mean a lot to me,"** he said softly. **"I don't appreciate you disrespecting my dead brother."**

 **"What are you talking about pap** **?** **I** **'** **m your brother."**

 _Ohh...he didn't capitalize the 'p' in "Pap."_

 **"Comic Sans was too and I loved him A LOT. He worked hard to raise the Great Papyrus and he helped me through my childhood."**

 **"He was a self** **-** **centered prick who didn** **'** **t care WHO he annoyed as long as he was entertained."**

 **"That's not true! He was anything BUT self-centered! He constantly beat himself up whenever he couldn't help me or thought he should have! Every time he failed at a task he felt terrible...what kind of self-centered prick feels bad about letting people down exactly?"**

Asgore raised his hands in order to calm the quarreling brothers. **"Now boys let's not fight in front of the children-"**

 **"That wasn** **'** **t kindness** **,** **it was guilt driving him."**

 **"I don't believe you! Besides, he wouldn't feel guilty if he wasn't a good person!"**

 **"Even if he had his good points** **,** **I** **'** **m a lot better than he ever was. I** **'** **m useful** **,** **I care about other people more** **,** **I don** **'** **t make stupid jokes** **-"**

 **"I just want you to respect yourself! Why is that so hard for you?!"**

 **"Because I** **'** **m TRASH** **!** **Daddy** **'** **s little mistake** **!** **I know it** **,** **Gaster knew it** **-"**

 **"Did you watch ALL those tapes?!"** Papyrus mouth dropped open. He knew the "horror videos" were of him and Gaster doing tests and training and suspected Sans of watching a few, but he had no idea he had watched every single one of them.

Gaster had a way with words and hearing your father call you trash in multiple ways could really damage your self-esteem.

 **"I** **'** **m leaving** **,"** said Sans preparing to take a shortcut. He wasn't going to let his brother dictate what he could and couldn't do, and he sure as hell wasn't going to tolerate Papyrus comparing him to someone that was long gone.

 _Why the hell does he like Comic Sans so much?!_

 _How can he like Comic Sans more than me?!_

 _I'm so much better!_

 _I'm better..._

 **"Sans, wait, please!"**

Papyrus watched his brother disappear in a flash. The children, startled, moved their hands back and forth in the place Sans had been only moments before, trying to make sense of what just happened.

Flowey coiled himself around Papyrus, putting on a sympathetic look. **"Golly, looks like you're** _ **sans**_ **a brother now."**

Everyone looked at the tiny plant.

 **"What? Too soon?"**

 **"Shut up Flowey."**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One:**

 **A Hero Arises Another Falls**

* * *

 **"Ugh** **!** **Where is it** **?** **I know she has at least ONE** **!"** Clattering could be heard inside of Undyne's bedroom as San's went through all the things on her dresser.

The room was a total mess. It looked and smelled like someone had confused her room with the dump at Waterfall. Socks and tank tops littered the entire room and the dressers, making it impossible to tell whether or not she had a carpet, wooden, or tile floor. There were even socks on the fan still spinning around slowly above her bed.

 _And Papyrus thought MY room was bad. He'd flip if he saw this mess._

The small skeleton nearly tripped over a pile of clothes as he tried to reach the chain attached to the fan. Reaching it, he pulled and the light came on making him cringe as he saw all the anime movies and figurines thrown haphazardly onto the next dresser. Not all of them were PG.

 _I know she has a hairbrush SOMEWHERE. She has to!_

Not that he really needed a hair from the captain's head to bring her back. Anything from her would do as long as it was biotic, he just figured a hairbrush would be easier to find.

He was wrong.

 _This makes me want to clean my room._

 **"UGH** **!"** Sans cried out sharply as he almost tripped over something hard hidden within the clothes. he had no idea what it was.

 _This makes me want to get a NEW room._

Giving up on the bedroom, Sans decided to try the bathroom instead, struggling to reach the door through the sea of clothes. Opening the door to the next room, he found that it wasn't a bathroom, it just smelled like one.

It was of course a workout room. Sans figured Undyne would have one somewhere in the house as big as it was. Unlike the bedroom, this area was neat and tidy with weights stacked up in a corner and the blue carpet vacuumed and spotless. Mirrors lined the walls reminding him of the lab.

 _I haven't really gotten a good look at myself yet after my font change. Am I really that different from before appearance wise?_

Stepping in front of the mirror, he blinked a couple times to make sure what he was seeing wasn't some kind of illusion. He looked so much different from his usual self that it was somewhat surreal. It was like seeing a long-lost twin; it was him, but also a stranger.

 _Is this...really me?_

 _I look so different..._

Sans looked down at his doctor's robe. It had appeared on him the moment his font changed for some reason. He hadn't of given it much thought until now however.

 _I look like a crazed doctor...then again I am a Horror now, I'm supposed to look scary._

 _Is this what Papyrus sees all the time though?_

Curious, he let his eyes glow green and ended up immediately stopping. A chill had gone through him as he gazed into his green-eyed reflection. He had the same aura as his brother coming from his sockets, but the fact that he liked it made him uncomfortable.

 _Heh, I guess i'm still a Normy on the inside huh?_

 _Maybe the bathroom is somewhere around here..._

Walking away from the mirrors and past a workout bench he noticed a sweat towel lying there having obviously been used. For a brief moment he wondered if he could use Undyne's sweat to bring her back, the moment quickly passed however, when he decided he didn't want to.

 _Let's save that as a last resort..._

Turning a corner he finally found another door and opened it to reveal exactly what he was searching for. On the edge of the sink lay a hairbrush covered in red hair.

 _I can bring Undyne back with this!_

Grabbing some hair from the brush he repeated the same process as before with his brother's bone.

 _I'll bring Undyne and everyone else back from the dead if I can, then bro will love me more than freaking Comic Sans. He'll see that I'm better this way and forget all about the old me..._

As the glowing stopped, Sans smiled and let out a relieved sigh. His happiness was short-lived however, when Undyne opened her eyes and he realized he had made a mistake.

 **"Wh-What happened? Sans?"**

 **"Sup** **'** **Undyne** **?** **Gotta go** **!"**

 **"Hey wait!"** yelled Undyne as the small skeleton took a shortcut. She looked around the bathroom for a minute.

 **"WHERE THE HELL ARE MY CLOTHES?!"**

* * *

Papyrus sat in the grass chewing on the knuckle of his glove. He didn't like when Sans left without telling him where he was going, it always made him nervous.

 **"Relax Bonebag, after he's through having his little bitch fit, he'll come craaawling back with an apology,"** said Flowey waving a leaf. He had watched Papyrus's brother long enough to tell exactly where this was going. **"He'll probably be sobbing and begging you to forgive him like a drunk that beats his wife. PLLEEEEEASE TAKE ME BACK PAPYRUS!"** imitated Flowey clasping his leaves together pleadingly.

Papyrus gave him a look that said "shut the hell up" and turned away. He didn't feel like listening to jokes right now.

He didn't WANT Sans to come back upset. He hated his brother's constant self-hate. He hated listening to it.

 _He's such a good guy, why can he not see that?_

 _Even if it WAS his nature to hate himself he's a different Font now, so why does he still hate Comic Sans so much?_

 **"I know what'll cheer you up Pappy!"** exclaimed Flowey sticking his tongue out and winking.

 _Ohhhh dear..._

 **"I have a plan to free Horror from the ground..."**

Papyrus looked up. **"Really? Pray tell."**

The tiny flower shook his head. **"I'll tell you all about it when Smiley comes back. That way he'll be happy and we can skip this afternoon's soap opera."** Flowey's eyes grew wide. **"Let's bribe him! Let's say we have a plan, but he has to come back to hear it! Get out your phone!"**

Papyrus did as he was told and dialed Sans' number.

One ring...two rings...three...

No answer.

 **"That little drama queen! What's his problem?!"**

 **"He's probably in the middle of doing that tele-thing he does."**

 **"BullCRAP! He's probably sitting near that ugly music box statue, feeling sorry for himself, and letting the water get him all wet because it's saaaaad..."** said Flowey hanging his head and leaves in mock depression.

Papyrus couldn't help but laugh at that one. It was true Sans had been a bit teary-eyed these last two days. Papyrus was use to being the dramatic one in the family.

 _I wish I could help him though._

 **"Excuse me, Flowey was it? Are you talking about that statue in the Resort? I'll have you know that was a memorial to my son Asriel,"** said the king offended.

 **"Then why'd you let Mettaton replace it with a statue of himself?"** asked Flowey.

 **"He did what?!"** Asgore stood up from his throne angrily. That statue may have not been the best craftsmanship, but it was built with love! Toriel even put his favorite music box in there before she left! Did that robot really have the gall...?

 **"Yeah, he took the statue of your son and put it somewhere in Waterfall."**

 **"How dare he?!"**

 **"Shhh...You'll wake the baby,"** said Stranger Danger pointing to the baby bones still clinging to Asgore. They were fast asleep, tired from today's little adventure.

The sight of Broken Baby slumbering peacefully was all it took to calm His Highness. He sat back down and rubbed the baby's back gently.

Papyrus smiled at the sight, remembering how his brother used to hold him all the time, though most of those times Sans had been angry with him. Sometimes the Horror Font yearned for the days when he was that small and could be picked up and loved anywhere.

 **"WHO CARES ABOUT THAT BABY BITCH? ALL HE DOES IS WHINE AND ASK FOR SHIT. DOESN'T THIS DUMP HAVE AN ORPHANAGE OR SOMETHING? LEAVE THE LITTLE FUCKER THERE."** said Bloodthirsty angrily. Why is everyone concerned about the baby when the god damn world was at stake?!

Flowey looked at Bloodthirsty. **"You've got quite a mouth on ya' dontcha' brat?"**

 **"DON'T YOU BE WORRYING ABOUT MY MOUTH, GAYWAD."**

Flowey smiled at him and did a little wiggling dance. **"Is part of your font being a jerk? Cause' that's what you're being."**

 **"Ehhhrrrnnn..."** Broken Baby began to stir, their nap disturbed by Bloodthirsty's yelling.

 **"Easy child, return to the realm of dreams,"** cooed Papyrus petting the baby's little head with his soft glove.

 **"Ah ha..."** The baby bones reached out for Papyrus and Asgore handed them to him smiling.

 **"Nyeh heh heh heh heh...who's a sleepy little baby bones?"**

 **"*Yawn*"** Broken baby smiled and went back to sleep, curling up against Papyrus's battle body.

 **"Hmmm...hmm..hm...hmmm..."**

 **"I wonder if Smiley's bringing everyone back from the dead? He needs to if I'm gonna break the barrier..."** whispered Flowey.

 **"I don't want him pushing himself too hard."**

 **"Geez! So selfish Pappy...you know that's why he's not here right?"**

Papyrus looked up from the baby to Flowey, surprised. That was twice he'd heard someone say that. **"You...think I'm being selfish?"**

 **"Uh yeah, you're always talking about what YOU want. What about Smiley? What about your ol' pal Flowey?"**

 **"I SAID you'll get the souls later when we have everything figured out."** said Papyrus sternly, glaring at the flower.

 **"You gotta wait a little longer kay'?"** Stranger Danger straightened out her bloody blue dress and played with the petals of a nearby flower.

 **"I don't GOT to do anything! This is ridiculous! Let's just plan as we go along!"**

 **"That's dumb,"** said No Fear leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

 **"YOU'RE dumb!"**

 **"Eeeehhhh..."** whined Broken Baby. As comfortable as they were, this was not a good place for baby's to nap apparently.

 **"Quiet down now Flowey. You'll wake the little one..."**

 **"I don't care about the friggen' baby! This is stupid!"**

 **"EEEAAHHH!"** Broken Baby started to cry loudly.

 **"*Sigh*"** Frisk walked over to Papyrus and took out a Crab Apple, taking a little piece off; they put it in Broken Baby's mouth. The baby clicked their mouth a few times, noticing something sweet had been put into it. They turned to Chara and reached for the Crab Apple.

 **"Tank you. You's a loud flower..."**

Flowey's mouth dropped open in shock.

 _Is the BABY telling me to shut up now?!_

 **"Hmph!"** Flowey crossed his leaves. **"I don't have to take this. I'm gonna go hang out with Smiley. At least HE doesn't bully me."** Flowey blew a raspberry at everyone before taking off underground.

 **"THAT FLOWER'S A FUCKING ASSHOLE,"** said Bloodthirsty in shock.

* * *

Sans' shortcut took him back home where he sat on the couch to rest. It had only been one person at a time, but each time he brought someone back, it took a lot out of him. To tell the truth, he hadn't been feeling so hot since he took that green stuff.

 **"Howdy Smiley!"** said Flowey poking his head up from behind the couch. **"Gosh, you look sick!"** He used a vine to move himself forward and hover right in front of the woozy skeleton.

Sans FELT sick. His head was spinning like a merry-go-round, and his vision was blurring together like a watercolor painting. He was sweating profusely and breathing heavily, his soul beating wildly in his ribcage. He could hear Flowey's voice, but he sounded so far away...

 **"Golly! You don't think it could've been something you ate?** **Or perhaps it was something you drank..."** Flowey put a leaf to Sans' head. **"Wowie, you're burning up! I guess that green stuff was expired or something..."**

 _Expired?_

It was true that Sans had no idea how old that font changing potion thing was, but if Gaster had been the one to give it to Asgore it had to of been at least ten years old...

 _A-Am am I gonna die?_

He felt a cold chill run through his bones at the prospect. It settled in his chest and refused to leave. Could he take a shortcut to the Throne Room? SHOULD he take a shortcut to the Throne Room? If he was dying, he didn't want to do so in front of Papyrus.

Nausea hit the small skeleton like a truck and he fell onto his side on the couch. Leaning over he threw up bright green liquid onto the floor.

 **"EEEWWW! Smiley! Shame on you!"**

Rolling onto his back, Sans looked up to see his HP slowly start to drop.

 _I-I AM dying...my HP is..._

 **Pah...pappy...**

The tiny flower noticed Sans text was messed up and began to get worried, looking up Flowey's eyes grew wide as he saw the Font's HP was starting to drop and fast. **"Hey! Hey, are you actually dying?! You can't die yet idiot; I need you for my master plan!"**

 _I need to call my bro...I need to apologize..._

Sans struggled to pull out his cell phone and hit Papyrus's number. Hitting the buttons took everything he had; he cursed himself inwardly for not putting his brother on speed dial.

He only had half of his HP now. It was dropping so fast...it felt like all the strength was leaving him in waves.

 _I should of told Papyrus I wasn't feeling well, I pushed myself too hard; I should have quit when I felt dizzy._

 _I guess Papyrus was right, I can't take care of myself._

One ring... **"Hello, Sans?"**

Heh heh...hey bro.

 **"Sans are you alright? I can barely hear you!"**

I'm sorry, okay? i'm really sorry pap...

 _I'm so sleepy..._

 **"What do you mean you're sorry?! SANS!"**

Sans dropped the phone and closed his eyes smiling.

 _I did it. I said I was sorry. It's okay now. Everything's gonna be okay..._

 **"SANS, COME BACK HERE! COME BACK HERE PLEASE!"**

 **"Listen to me you piece of crap! Don't you dare die now!"** Flowey dropped on top of Sans and began fanning him with his leaves. **"I can break the barrier stupid! I can set us all free, but you have to bring everyone back from the dead or I won't have the power!"**

Sans didn't answer. He could no longer hear Flowey or anything else for that matter. He felt warmth coil around him like he was being wrapped in a soft blanket...

How long had it been since he'd had a nap?

 _I'm so sleepy...is this death?_

 _..._

 _..._

 _It's nice._

 **"We can save the world! You wanna save the world dontcha'?"**

 **"BROTHER!"**

 **...**

Sans' HP dropped to one and Flowey frowned opening the door to leave. **"Stupid skeleton, you ruin everything...now I have to go to plan B."**

 _FLOOSH!_

The phone dropped from Papyrus's hand as he heard his brother turn to dust.

Flowey picked up Sans' phone with a vine before heading outside. **"Alright, that clearly didn't work out, but I think I have another plan and the good news is your brother's isn't here to screw it up!"** said Flowey happily. **"Can we talk about those souls now?"**

 _BLOOSH!_


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-Two:**

 **Turning Over A New Leaf**

* * *

Everyone stared in shock at the smoking ruin that had been Papyrus's phone. The skeleton's Gaster Blaster had completely annihilated it.

Papyrus walked out of the room briskly heading for the barrier.

Asgore got off his throne and went after the grief-stricken Font. **"Stop him! If he touches the barrier he'll turn to dust!"**

The children ran after them.

 **"Stop you idiot!"** called No Fear trying keep up with the speedy skeleton.

 **"The king said no mister Papyrus! You're gonna get hurt!"** Stranger Danger followed close behind No Fear, her dress shoes tapping loudly on the tile floor.

Papyrus kept going undaunted by their cries.

 **"Umm, you're still carrying me..."**

 **"AT LEAST PUT THE BABY DOWN YOU SELFISH BASTARD!"** yelled Bloodthirsty.

Papyrus stopped in front of the barrier and everyone skidded to a halt as well.

 **"You're right. I am a selfish bastard."** Papyrus put down the baby and turned to look at Frisk. **"Human! You are the last soul we need to break down this barrier. I, the Great Papyrus, challenge you!"**

 _Is he serious?!_

 _Looks like it._

Frisk gasped as a bone whizzed through the air aimed for their head.

 _BOOF!_

The bone attack was blocked by a notebook.

 **"Stop! We can find another way! We don't need to fight!"** exclaimed Stranger Danger holding her notebook up to her face.

 **"You're in my way child..."**

 **"Flowey said there was another way! I heard him over the phone!"**

 _BOOF!_

 _BOOF!_

Two more bones were shot at Frisk and again they were blocked by Stranger's notebook.

 _Uhh...Papyrus knows YOU still have the Determination to come back from death right?_

 _He's not thinking clearly._

 **"If you continue to get in my way, I'll kill you again girl!"** Papyrus prepared another bone and sent it flying.

 **"OOF!"** Stranger Danger cried out as the bone attack hit her in the ribs and she fell to the ground onto her back.

She didn't get back up.

 **"That's enough Papyrus! These children have done you no harm!"** yelled Asgore blocking Papyrus with his trident.

 **"LET EM' GO! I'LL FUCK HIM UP!"** Bloodthirsty's eyes glowed yellow as he got into a battle stance.

 _He killed me?_

 **"There's no need to fight, we can solve this peacefully without bloodshed!"**

 _Mister Papyrus?_

 **"He's asking for it man, he heard Stranger, he just doesn't care."** No Fear's eyes were glowing too; orange like Papyrus's.

Papyrus continued hurling bones at Frisk, each one being blocked by Asgore's trident.

 **"I'm aiming for the human you're Highness!"**

 **"We can solve this another way!"**

Frisk knelt down to check on Stranger Danger. **"Are you okay?"**

The girl didn't answer.

Her head was beginning to fill with images of meeting Papyrus in Snowdin and telling him about her studies, she remembered her mother and father who were no longer her parents, and she remembered her friends who had long since forgotten about her. She remembered being struck in the head.

 **"Uhh..huh..."** Stranger Danger sat up and put a hand up to her head, feeling her cracked skull.

 _He did that?_

 _But I was so nice..._

 **"*Sob*"** Stranger Danger began to cry into her hands.

 _I was so nice..._

 **"NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID! THE STUPID BITCH IS CRYING AGAIN!"**

 **"Stop crying! We need to fight!"** said No Fear dodging a bone Asgore's trident had blocked.

Stranger Danger cried harder.

 _Everyone's so mean to me!_

 **"WWWAAAHHHHEEEHHHEHHH!"**

Broken Baby laughed. **"She cry louder than me!"**

 **"My dear, why don't you go back to the Throne Room? A battlefield is no place for a little girl."**

 _They're so mean to me!_

Papyrus threw another bone and Asgore blocked it with his trident, accidently sending it into Stranger's face. Her glasses flew off and landed somewhere far away.

 **"Stranger!"** Frisk tried to lift Stranger Danger up and was blinded by a purple light shining from her eyes. The purple glow coated her entire body and she began to change.

 **"What the hell...?"** Bloodthirsty's eyes widened.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched Stranger Danger as she began to float slightly in the air. Her blue dress turned a light pastel purple, growing laces and acquiring ribbons, and her shoes became long white boots with laces all the way up the front. The blood on her dress disappeared and so did every drop of blood in her long blond hair. Frisk noticed the ribbons she had in her hair were also changing, they ended up fusing together somehow to form one big light purple bow on the top of her head. The only thing that didn't change was her white tights.

 **"Wh-What happened?"** asked Frisk stunned by the transformation. She looked like a little doll...

 **"Her font has changed,"** said Papyrus.

Broken Baby reached out and touched a silky ribbon on the changed Font's dress. **"Pretty!"**

A Lolita Scorned: The Doll Font

Attribute: Horror

Type: Virus

Also known as the "Bullied Font," A Lolita Scorned is known for continuously striving for perfection in order to gain the approval of others. They speak politely, maintain proper etiquette, keep clean, and will often fish for compliments.

It is normal for this Font to often invite people over for dinner parties and tea, however their attitudes towards people they consider uncouth are often cold. They value refinement and those without grace are scorned as they once were.

Because they are so well-mannered they are ironically not as frowned upon as other Virus Fonts, in fact they are valued highly in careers pertaining to fashion. They are never satisfied with their appearance and will constantly change their outfit given the opportunity. When an opportunity does not arrive for a certain amount of time, this Font will turn what and who they touch into a clothing item or accessory and wear it in desperation. A Lolita Scorned can often be seen wearing doll-like clothing possibly made from their victims.

Lolita curtsied gracefully and smiled. **"My new name is Lolita and I'd very much appreciate it if you'd use it."**

Papyrus stopped fighting immediately after he heard the FontSearch say "virus." He did not want to be worn around someone's neck.

 **"Oh? Are we not fighting anymore?"**

 **"No ma'am, my apologies. My grief over the loss of my sibling got the better of me,"** said Papyrus bowing. Papyrus wasn't a coward, but he wasn't stupid either. No Font was all powerful. Everyone had a weakness and Papyrus had several. He couldn't do a thing against a Virus Font unless he was VERY careful and WASN'T in a narrow hallway filled with people who were probably still angry with him..

 **"I understand; losing your family can be a terrible thing..."** said Lolita, putting a hand on her hip and tapping her chin thoughtfully.

 _Oh my..._

 _Well, I suppose I'll be seeing my brother sooner than I thought._

 **"If you intend to fight me, know that I will not go down easily my dear."** Papyrus crossed his arms defiantly. The devil baby was one thing, but he would not run away from a silly doll. If she killed him then so be it. Whether from Heaven or Hell his brother would surely laugh at him if he ran, assuming those places even existed.

 **"Fight you? Why on earth would I do such a thing? Haven't I already accepted your apology?"**

 **"Well I can't say I've heard you use those exact words..."**

Lolita giggled, covering her mouth with one hand slightly. **"I accept your apology mister Papyrus."**

 **"Please, Papyrus will do just fine,"** said Papyrus smiling. This Font was obviously not the aggressive type. Her impeccable manners reminded him of when they first met...

 **"Then I must ask you to call me Lolita, as we are friends, yes?"**

 **"I'd like to think so, yes."**

 **"Are...we not fighting anymore?"** No Fear looked confused.

 _We were just fighting a second ago and now they're having a friendly chat? Didn't he hit her in the face?_

 **"I'm dreadfully sorry for the loss of your brother. Such a tragedy, I do wonder what could have happened though."**

 _As do I._

 _Sans had so much HP...what could have killed him?_

Lolita walked over to collect her glasses. **"These...are cracked...and dirty."**

 **"They're fine,"** said No Fear. **"Just wear them anyway until-"**

 **"Absolutely not! These won't do at all!"** pouted Lolita. Her eyes began to glow purple and the glasses in her hand started to glow as well. The broken, dirty, and cloudy glasses turned new, shiny, and white in what seemed like only a second. She put them on and turned to everyone smiling brightly. **"How do I look?"**

 **"So pretty!"** Broken Baby picked up a ribbon from Lolita's dress trying to get it in their mouth, but Lolita stepped aside, pulling it out of their grasp.

 **"You look absolutely gorgeous,"** said Papyrus grinning.

Frisk gave her a thumbs up.

 **"Wonderful! And you? What do you three think?"** Lolita turned to the other boys.

 **"They look wonderful on you, child."**

 **"Lookin' fine baby doll."**

Frisk and Papyrus both looked at No Fear.

 **"I don't care,"** said Bloodthirsty turning away with his hands in his pockets. Lolita frowned, her eyes glowing dangerously.

 **"Don't feel too bad darling, he obviously likes you. See how he's turned away? He's hiding his blush,"** whispered Papyrus into her ear.

 **"Oh! Hee hee hee!"**

 **"Nice one Pappy, crises averted!"** Everyone turned to see Flowey walking awkwardly on the tile floor towards them. His roots kept slipping on the slick surface, but he continued to walk in Papyrus's direction.

 **"For someone with no ears, your hearing is incredible..."**

 **"Thanks! And here I thought you were mad at me."**

 **"I'm pissed at you."**

 **"Oh..okay."**

 **"Good afternoon Flowey, my name's Lolita. It's a pleasure to see you again,"** said Lolita curtseying.

Flowey ignored her, focusing on Papyrus. **"Your uh, phone doesn't seem to-"**

 **"I blew it up."**

 **"Ah, gotcha'."** Flowey scratched his head with a leaf as an awkward silence fell between them. **"What are the chances you'll forgive me for the prank I pulled?"**

Papyrus narrowed his eyes. **"What prank?"**

 **"Never mind! Goodbye!"** Flowey attempted to run away, but Papyrus caught him by the stem, lifting him into the air.

 **"What did you do?"**

Flowey trembled in the skeleton's grip and flashed an uneasy smile. **"You know that *floosh* sound monsters make when they turn to dust?"**

 **"Yes..."**

 **"Didja know that if you open a door in Snowdin it makes the same sound because the wind-OW! OW! NOT THE PETALS!"**

 **"YOU LITTLE PIECE OF INSUFFERABLE GARBAGE! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"** yelled Papyrus pulling on Flowey's petals.

 **"I'M SORRRY!"**

 **"I OUGHT TO TURN YOU INTO MULCH!"**

 **"NOOOOO!"**

 **"Papyrus stop!"** shouted Asgore grabbing the skeleton's arm.

 **"RELEASE ME AT ONCE! THIS WEED HAS IT COMING!"** screamed Papyrus enraged at Flowey's prank.

 _Little bastard! He made me believe my brother was dead! My only family! And I fell for it! I friggen' FELL for it!_

 _I don't have a PHONE because of him!_

 **"Pah-Papyrus?!"**

Papyrus froze as a familiar voice rang out echoing through the hall.

 _Was that...?_

 **"What...are you doing?"**

 **"Undyne?"**

Undyne stood at the end of the hallway holding someone else who looked familiar.

 **"SANS!"** The taller skeleton almost wept in relief, seeing his brother unconscious but alive in Undyne's arms. Sans' doctor's robe was gone and he was back in his blue hoodie.

 _He's really alive._

 _My brother, my dear sweet brother..._

 **"HELP ME! HELP ME, HE'S CRAZY!"** screamed Flowey reaching out to Undyne with his leaves.

 **"SHUT UP, FLOWEY!"** Papyrus shook Flowey back and forth in his hand.

 **"Papyrus, stop! What's wrong with you?!"**

 **"HE'S TRYING TO KILL ME!"**

 **"ENOUGH!"**

 **"Hello ma'am, my name is Lolita. Is that Papyrus's brother?"**

Undyne handed Sans to Lolita and stormed over to Papyrus, grabbing him by the neck. **"BACK OFF, DWEEB!"**

Papyrus slapped her hand up and away. **"You don't know what he's done; YOU back off before you get hurt!"**

Undyne stumbled back a couple steps in shock.

 **"I said I was sorry Papppppy!"**

 **"Excuse me; this skeleton is awful heavy-"**

 **"Don't you dare drop him!"** Papyrus rushed over and gathered his brother up in his arms, dropping Flowey.

 **"Oomph! Ow! Grrr, you suck Papyrus!"**

Papyrus paid Flowey no mind, his attention solely focused on Sans. The small comedian looked fine, but he wouldn't wake up. His HP was back at one. He was back to being Comic Sans, at least Papyrus hoped so...

But why wasn't he waking up?

Papyrus shook him a bit to try and stir him, but the skeleton didn't open his eyes. Sans was a heavy sleeper, but not THAT heavy. What was wrong with him?

 _Has...has he fallen?_

 _No..._

It was a possibility.

Monsters falling down were a common thing in the Underground. It was usually when a Monster got too old, or lost all their magic that they fell unconscious and could not be awakened. They would lie in a bed as if in a coma and eventually they would turn to dust.

 **"SANS? SANS, WAKE UP!"**

 **"..."**

 **"SANS, PLEASE!"**

Broken Baby looked up at Asgore, sticking a finger in their mouth. **"He dead?"**

 **"No little one, but he may have fallen down."**

 **"SANS?"**

 **"Does he gots a boo boo?"** Broken Baby knew about boo boos. They needed kisses. Did the little person need a kiss from the baby?

 **"SA-HANS! *sob* No hohooo..."** Papyrus cradled his brother in his arms, and cried into his shirt. **"How did this happen...how did this happen...how did this happen..."**

 _He brought Undyne back, he must have tried to bring everyone else back too. He pushed himself too hard trying to bring everyone back and now he's...I wasn't there to stop him._

 _I wasn't there..._

 _I should've been there to stop him or slow him down. I should've been there..._

He couldn't stop thinking about Sans' voice on the other end of the phone, how despondent he had sounded. Papyrus had been so selfish...he wanted so badly to protect his brother from death, he'd forgotten about his feelings.

 _I did this. It's my fault. He wouldn't have left in the first place had I not pushed him away..._

Sans' only wish was to be by his side and help him, but Papyrus had been too stubborn to allow it. He had made his brother so miserable, but it was too late to apologize now. Sans was gone. He hadn't turned to dust yet, but he was still gone.

 **"Papyrus?"** Undyne placed a hand on his shoulder, but it was like she wasn't even there.

 **"How did this happen...how did this happen..."**

 **"I think he's broken,"** said No Fear watching Papyrus rock back and forth.

 **"NO SHIT; CRYING OVER HIM'S NOT GONNA BRING HIM BACK. GET OFF THE GROUND ALREADY!"** Bloodthirsty walked over to kick the grieving brother when Undyne intervened.

 **"What the hell's your problem?!"**

 **"SHUT UP BITCH, NO ONE'S TALKING TO YOU!"**

 **"BITCH?! YOU STINKIN' LITTLE** _ **PUNK!"**_ Undyne swung at Bloodthirsty who ducked just in time to avoid having his head knocked clean off.

 _I didn't fail! I couldn't have failed after all this time!_

 _There must be a way to wake him up...something I've forgotten...yes, yes..._

 **"GET OFF ME WATER-SUCKER!"**

 **"Undyne, that's enough! He's only a child!"**

 **"Don't step on the baby!"** said Broken Baby crawling away. This was not a safe place for babies.

Frisk watched quietly as Bloodthirsty wrestled with Undyne and Papyrus wept over his fallen brother.

 _He knows you can Reset right? YOU still have your Determination...as unfair as it is._

 _If I Reset, won't you regain my soul and try to kill everyone again?_

 _Maybe, maybe not. This timeline's weird, I may not get your soul back at all._

 _Yeah right._

 _Even if I DID, Papyrus would stop me all over again don't you think?_

 _Like you said, the timeline's weird so maybe not, besides I'd rather die than give you back my soul._

 _Ah, so you'd let Sans die to keep your soul huh? Classic Frisk._

 _Shut up._

Frisk looked up at the barrier thoughtfully.

 _You're not thinking about doing anything stupid are you?_

 _That barrier needs to come down, if it does, maybe Papyrus can find a Font that can wake up Sans..._

 _What? No! Just wait for another human idiot!_

 _We don't know how much time Sans has, you read the lab monitors. He'll die if he doesn't wake up._

 _Breaking the barrier isn't going to wake him up! Don't be stupid! Didn't Flowey say he had another way?_

Frisk looked at Flowey who was watching the fight with great interest. **"What was your second plan to break the barrier Flowey?"**

 **"Hm? Oh, use your soul."**

 _Thought so._

 _Don't do it Partner!_

 _My friends need me._

 _Find another way! Aren't there two more kids missing? Maybe their fonts can help!_

 **"I'll find a way to help you Brother."**

 _CLACK!_

 **"I promise."**

Papyrus took out Sans' FontSearch and began to look through it for anything he missed. There had to be _something._

 **"UGH!"** Undyne was sent flying backwards to the tile with a punch, landing right next to him.

 **"YEAH! KISS THAT FLOOR!"** yelled Bloodthirsty triumphantly.

Undyne laughed, impressed with the boy's strength. **"You're pretty strong, but you don't have the skill to beat me! RRAH!"** She rushed at the Font planning to go for his legs, but looking like she was about to throw a punch.

 **"FINE, COME GET A PIECE! I'LL KNOCK YOU ON YOUR SCALY ASS AGAIN!"** said Bloodthirsty with a smirk. This was the first real fight he'd had all day and it felt good.

Bloodthirsty moved his head to the right thinking Undyne was going to hit him, but was surprised when she ducked down. **"HAH!"** The captain leg swept him instead and he fell to the ground.

 **"OH THAT'S BULLSHIT! HOW IS THAT FAIR?!"** he cried glaring up at her.

 **"There are many forms of justice brat! Mine is fight with everything you have and all the skill you got! FUCK everyone else's honor! Follow your OWN path!"** Undyne put up her fists like a boxer and jumped about, waiting for Bloodthirsty to stand up and continue.

 _Oh I see how it is._

The Font's eyes glowed an even brighter yellow as his strength increased tenfold. He wouldn't be playing around anymore.

 **"Please stop you two, this isn't the time for this!"** Asgore put a hand up to his face wearily. He knew they wouldn't listen, but he had to try at least. Bloodthirsty and Undyne were the same in that they both refused to back down from a fight, but someone was bound to get hurt. Too bad that was the last thing on THEIR minds.

 **"What a vulgar display,"** said Lolita shaking her head in disgust.

 **"We need to work together to find a way to break this barrier-"**

 **"Uh-"**

 **"WITHOUT sacrificing the human,"** said Asgore glaring at Flowey. **"Too many people have suffered and died today."**

 **"Fine. Whatever."**

 **"If those fools want to fight, let us continue without them. We can figure this out ourselves."**

 **"Who even are you?"** asked Flowey looking at Lolita in confusion. She looked like Stranger Danger, but she had a refined air about her and was dressed like a porcelain doll.

 **"I already told you, my name is Lolita."** She gave the flower a frosty look. She didn't like being forgotten so quickly. Literally the first thing she did was introduce herself!

 **"Lolita huh? Nice outfit doll-face."**

The young girl's eyes lit up. **"You really like it?"**

 **"Yeah...could use a bracelet or something though. How can you call yourself gaudy when you're still showing skin?"** asked Flowey sarcastically.

Lolita's eyes began to glow bright purple. She suddenly wanted a bracelet.

Very, very, badly.

Scanning the area, she was distraught to find there were no bracelets in the room; not even on the king.

 _Aren't kings supposed to wear all kind of jewelry?_

Lolita began to panic, her breathing becoming harsher and faster with each passing moment.

 **"My dear, are you alright?"** Asgore reached out to calm the hyperventilating girl.

 **"DON'T TOUCH ME!"** screamed Lolita sudden and shrill, her eyes franticly searching the area again. **"DON'T LOOK AT ME!"** She put her hands over her face and moved wildly from side to side.

 _I need a bracelet!_

 _I NEED one!_

 _I can't be seen without a bracelet!_

Undyne and Bloodthirsty stopped fighting. **"Calm doown bitch, heh ha ha! Who cares if you're ugly?"**

 **"I'M UGLY?!"**

 **"No you're not ugly!"** exclaimed Asgore giving Bloodthirsty a poisonous look.

 **"I'M UGLY! AUUUGH!"** Lolita clawed at her head and face, drawing blood and peeling off more dead skin.

 _I'M HIDEOUS! REPULSIVE! DISGUSTING! REVOLTING! UGLY! UGLY! UGLY! UGLY! UGLY! UGLY! UGLY! UGLY! UGLY! UGLLLLY!_

 **"Too bad that barrier's in the way. You could probably go get some new clothes, but..."**

 **"FLOWEY!"**

Lolita's head popped up as she heard Flowey's words.

 _The barrier!_

 _The barrier!_

 _I need to get past the barrier!_

Lolita made a mad dash for the barrier, her arms outstretched.

 **"STOP HER!"**

 _I need to get out!_

 _I need to get out!_

 _I need to get OUT!_

 _I NEED TO GET OUT!_

The hysterical Font reached out for the barrier, but the others held her back before the tips of her fingers could touch it. **"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUUUUT!"** Her eye sockets were flaming purple now, insanity claiming her. The font buildup had gotten too strong.

 **"EEERRRRIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!"** With an unholy shriek the ribbons on her dress changed to purple barbed wire and attacked the barrier in front of her, whipping it with such frenzied speed it was almost a blur of color and nothing more.

 **"HO-HOLY SHIT!"** laughed Bloodthirsty backing away.

 **"EEEEHHHHAAAAHHH!"** Broken Baby began to cry, the loud noises hurting their non-existent ears.

 _WHIE!_

 _WHIE!_

 _WHIE!_

 _WHIE!_

The barbed wire continued to beat at the barrier, but they did no damage.

 **"LOLITA! FOCUS YOUR MAGIC AND AIM IT AT THE BARRIER!"** yelled Papyrus over the noise.

 _This probably won't work but maybe...is the barrier considered a physical object even though it's made of magic? Can she...?_

Lolita did as she was told and focused all her energy on one place. The many barbed wires moved together to become one big collective whip that sparkled brilliantly. It moved in a way that reminded Papyrus of Flowey's vines and looked just as dangerous.

All it took was one hit to affect the barrier in a way no one expected. They expected it to crack, or for the whip to have no effect at all...they never dreamed that it would pull forward towards them.

 **"GET BACK!"** Asgore motioned for everyone to get away from the area as the barrier moved towards them all. It was as if it were a bubble being blown from the other side by a child.

Papyrus clung to his brother tightly in fear as he and everyone else were quickly backed against the doorway. The hallway was vertical and they could even run back into the Throne Room and beyond, but if the barrier followed them...

 _Okay, it didn't work._

 _At least I tried though..._

Flowey looked up at Papyrus as the barrier began to close in one them. **"Hey Pappy, if we die...I just want you to know-"**

 **"That it's all my fault and you hate me?"**

 **"Yeah..."**

Suddenly the barrier stopped blowing up like a bubble and began to swirl around in a circle. Faster and faster it swirled, looping in on itself.

 **"What's it doing?"** asked No Fear, confused.

The swirling barrier then began to shrink, somehow becoming smaller and smaller.

 **"Wait..."**

Smaller and smaller it became until it could fit into the palm of Lolita's hand. A purple glow surrounded it while it hung in midair.

 **"IS THIS DUMB DOLL DOING WHAT I THINK SHE'S DOING?"**

The swirling stopped as the purple glow entrapped it in an airtight magic case. It fell into Lolita's hand and she slid it onto her wrist happily.

 **"SHE MADE A FUCKING BRACELET."**

Lolita turned to everyone smiling and stuck out her arm.

 **"How is it? Am I pretty again?"**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three:**

 **Carrying On**

* * *

Everyone stared dumbfounded at Lolita.

 **"Fonts are pretty powerful aren't they?"** askedAsgore laughing awkwardly.

Papyrus let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

 _It DID work!_

 **"What the hell just happened? Did that zombie just turn the freaking barrier into a bracelet?!"**

 **"Shut up you idiot!"** whispered Bloodthirsty to Undyne harshly. **"You want to set that crazy bitch off again?"**

 **"I don't know what's going on! I don't even know how I'm here!"**

Frisk took Undyne aside and began to explain Fonts to her along with everything that had happened since they appeared in the timeline. Her eyes grew wide with wonder at first, but then they began to glaze over as the stream of information became too much. **"Ugh, okay. I get it. It's nerd crap."**

 **"Where's Pappy going?"**

Papyrus looked at Broken Baby. **"I'm going outside for awhile."**

The baby bones began to crawl towards Papyrus. **"The baby would like to go outside..."**

Bending down and petting the baby's head, Papyrus smiled. **"While I appreciate your attempt to keep me company, I would very much like to be alone for the moment."**

Broken Baby whined as Papyrus turned to leave.

 _You know Sans could just be asleep..._

 _Chara?_

Chara floated near Frisk legs crossed, leaning backward with their hands behind their head and their eyes closed. They opened one eye lazily.

 _Comic Sans has a habit of sleeping for at least seventeen hours a day, I read about it on the internet a long time ago. He could just be sleeping...like the lazy ass he is._

Frisk turned to see Papyrus leave through the doorway.

 _I hope so._

Breathing a sigh of relief, Papyrus headed outside to see the sun for the first time. He knew there was going to be yelling and he didn't want to be there when someone said something stupid and set off Lolita again.

He found himself at the top of the Mt. Ebott overlooking a forest and what looked like a castle way off in the distance. The wind felt nice against his bones.

 _It's over. It's finally done. We're free._

 _What's left of us anyway..._

The sun was beginning to set. The pinks and yellows contrasted beautifully against the bright blue sky and made it seem like he was staring at the world's largest painting. It pained him to think if he had just kept his mouth shut, Sans might've been able to see it too. Papyrus sat down and looked up at the sky watching a flock of birds fly by.

 **"The stars will be out soon...you wanted to see them didn't you?"**

His brother didn't respond. He lay in Papyrus's arms motionless.

 **"I don't know what to do next, Brother. The only idea I have is to keep killing Humans discreetly and instill them with magic...hope that a Font who can dig up Horror safely appears..."**

 **"..."**

 **"To be honest, the prospect of saving the world doesn't excite me. It's funny...I worked so hard to get here with you, but all I want is to perish. I've no desire whatsoever to explore this place."**

 **"..."**

 **"Pretty hypocritical aren't I? I once told you, that wanting to die simply because you've lost the one you love most, was sick. I guess I didn't realize how painful it was. Nyeh heh heh..."**

A strong wind blew by, making the flaps of Sans' hoodie flutter slightly.

 **"You should know I have no intention of giving up Brother. I'll find a Font that can help you, even if you turn to dust in my arms I'll find a Font that'll bring you back to me."**

 _CLACK!_

 **"I'll do whatever it takes, till my last breath I'll fight for you...and when you wake up, I'll treat you with the respect I should have in the beginning."**

Papyrus got up from the ground and smiled down at his brother. **"Ready to go?"**

Sans said nothing.

As Papyrus headed down the mountain he looked up one last time at Mt. Ebott, his home.

He was leaving a lot behind and he knew once he left he might never be able to return. Killing humans would be difficult while watching over his brother and staying out of sight. He didn't even know how advanced human civilization was. He may even be attacked as soon as he reached a village.

 _The Great Papyrus is brave._

Taking a deep breath he continued down.

He didn't know what the future held for he and his brother, but he'd do everything in his power to ensure it was bright. A true hero did everything in their power to protect the ones they held dear. Regardless of what he wanted or how he felt, he'd make sure the people he loved were safe.

Safe AND happy.

 _I can do this..._

 _I can protect him..._

 _I can make him happy..._

 _I CAN._

 _I believe in me._


End file.
